me begin to count the hours till I shall come forth again.

"The Israelite hath a nurse, a feeble and sick old woman, Deborah by
name, whom the minions of Har-hat abused. She can be of no further use
in servitude, and I would have thee set her free to bear company to her
love, the white-souled Rachel.

"But if these last prayers imperil the first by strain upon thy
indulgence, O Beloved of Ptah, do thou set them aside, and grant only
the safety of the oppressed maiden.

"These to thy hand, by the hand of the scribe, Hotep.

"KENKENES."

The letter complete, he summoned the messenger.

"How swift art thou?" he asked.

"So swift that my service is desired beyond mine opportunities to
accept," was the answer.

"How is it that thou art ready to serve me? Thou seest my plight."

"The jailer spoke of thee as petitioning the Pharaoh. The king is in
the north where I have not been in all the reign of Meneptah. Thou
offerest me a pleasure and the fee shall be in proportion to the length
of the journey."

"Nay, but thou art a genius. Thou dost move me to imitate the Hathors,
since they add fortune to the already fortunate. Mark me. I will give
thee thy fee now. If thou dost return me a letter showing that thou
hast carried the message with all faith and speed, I shall give thee
another fee on thy home-coming. What thinkest thou?"

The man smiled and nodded. "Naught but the darts of Amenti shall delay
me."

Kenkenes gave him the message, and a handful of rings. The man
expressed his thanks, after which he went forth, and the door was
barred.

Kenkenes stood for a while, motionless before the tightly fitted portal
of stone. Then through the high crevice that was his window the sounds
of life outside smote upon his ear. The noise of the city seemed to
become all revel. Some one under the walls laughed--the hearty,
raucous laugh of the care-free boor.

He turned about and flung himself face down in the straw of his pallet.

He had begun to wait.

CHAPTER XXV

THE LOVE OF RAMESES

By the twentieth of May, the court of Meneptah was ready to proceed to
Tanis.

The next week the Pharaoh would depart. To-night he received noble
Memphis for a final revel.

His palace was aglow, from its tremendous portals to the airy hypostyle
upon its root and from far-reaching wing to wing, with countless
colored lights. From every architrave and cornice depended garlands
and draperies, and tinted banne