in those days,
and not men. This place is sad as Death--ay, and as mighty and far from
man. Is it here that we must enter?"

"Nay," I answered, "it is not here. Pass on."

I led the way through a thousand ancient tombs, till we stood in the
shadow of Ur the Great, and gazed at his red heaven-piercing mass.

"Is it here that we must enter?" she whispered once again.

"Nay," I answered, "it is not here. Pass on."

We passed on through many more tombs, till we stood in the shadow of
_Her_,[*] and Cleopatra gazed astonished at its polished beauty, which
for thousands of years, night by night, had mirrored back the moon, and
at the black girdle of Ethiopian stone that circled its base about. For
this is the most beautiful of all pyramids.

[*] The "Upper," now known as the Third Pyramid.--Editor.

"Is it that we must enter?" she said.

I answered, "It is here."

We passed round between the Temple of the Worship of his Divine Majesty,
Menkau-ra, the Osirian, and in the base of the pyramid till we came
to the north side. Here in the centre is graved the name of Pharaoh
Menkau-ra, who built the pyramid to be his tomb, and stored his treasure
in it against the need of Khem.

"If the treasure still remains," I said to Cleopatra, "as it remained in
the days of my great-great-grandfather, who was Priest of this
Pyramid before me, it is hid deep in the womb of the mass before thee,
Cleopatra; nor can it be come by without toil, danger, and terror of
mind. Art thou prepared to enter--for thou thyself must enter and must
judge?"

"Canst thou not go in with the eunuch, Harmachis, and bring the treasure
forth?" she said, for a little her courage began to fail her.

"Nay, Cleopatra," I answered, "not even for thee and for the weal of
Egypt can I do this thing, for of all sins it would be the greatest
sin. But it is lawful for me to do this. I, as hereditary holder of the
secret, may, upon demand, show to the ruling monarch of Khem the place
where the treasure lies, and show also the warning that is written. And
if on seeing and reading, the Pharaoh deems that the need of Khem is so
sore and strait that it is lawful for him to brave the curse of the Dead
and draw forth the treasure, it is well, for on his head must rest the
weight of this dread deed. Three monarchs--so say the records that I
have read--have thus dared to enter in the time of need. They were the
Divine Queen Hatshepsu, that wonder known to the Gods alone