so sad?"

Michael evaded the question by saying, "We won't speak of this to
anyone, if you don't mind. Let it be just between you and me."

Margaret hesitated for a moment. There was something stirring and
pleasurable to her emotions in the idea of having a secret with
Michael; it was like possessing a part of him all to herself; yet she
shrank from keeping back anything from Freddy. Even this dream--if it
was only a dream--she would naturally have told to him, because it held
such a wonderful idea; it would have interested him. It was
interesting from the scientific point of view, the fact that she should
have been able to project her unconscious brain into the history which
she was going to study and accurately visualize and create for herself
the personality and teachings of a Pharaoh of whom she had never heard.
If it had been the great Rameses, or any Biblical character who in
later years entered into Egyptian history, it would have meant less,
for already the personality of the great builder-king of Egypt was
known to her, by the frequency with which she had heard the expression
"Rameses the Great." But of the heretic Pharaoh she had never heard.

"Do you mind not mentioning it even to your brother?" Mike said. "If
he was not in sympathy with my belief that it was not a dream, he might
unconsciously affect you--he would probably tell you much that I would
rather you didn't know until we find out more."

Margaret gave her promise willingly. Michael's reason seemed to her
such a justifiable one that their secret might be kept even from Freddy.

Presently Freddy shouted out, "I'm off to bed, Meg--kick Mike out and
go to yours--you've had a long day."

As Mike said good-night, Margaret noticed how strained and grave he
was. "Don't look so serious!" She tried to speak lightly. "To-morrow
we shall both say that it was all a dream. Fancy an Egyptian Pharaoh
rising out of his tomb below the hills to speak to me! I'm not going
to think of it any more--I'll send myself to sleep by trying to say the
Arabic alphabet backwards."

Michael did not look any the less grave. "He was brought to the
valley," he said, "to his mother's tomb, and I don't suppose that I am
the first person to receive a message from him--perhaps the first
European, but then, I love his teachings. They have not been known
very long."

"He said he had come to see what his people were doing. Do you really
think he has given this mess