have won.
The end shall be the same. I am a lovable lover, am I not, Masanath?
Am I not good to look upon? Dost thou know a more princely prince, and
is my father more of a king than I shall be? Where do I fail thee in
thy little ideals? Am I harsh? Aye, but I am a king. Am I
rough-spoken? Aye, because most of the world deserve it. Thou hast
never felt the sting of my tongue, and never shalt thou unless thou
breakest my heart. I have much to give thee; not any other monarch
hath so much as I to give his queen. And yet I ask only thy love in
return."

This was earnest wooing, which contained nothing that she might flout.
So she strained away from him and sulked. Again he laughed.

"Khem and Athor and Besa have combed my heart and created a being of
the desires they found therein! O, thou art mine, for the gods
ordained it so." Again he kissed her, holding her in spite of her
efforts to get away.

"There! carry thy hate of me only to the edge of sleep and dream
sweetly of me."

He released her and continued down the hall.

As he turned out of the smaller passage into the larger corridor,
Ta-user stepped forth from the shadow of a pillar. The huge column
dwarfed her into tininess. The hall was but dimly lighted by a single
lamp and that flared above her head.

Rameses paused, for she stood in his path.

"Not yet gone to thy rest?" he asked.

"Rest!" she said scornfully. "Gone to a night-long frenzy of
relentless consciousness--weary tossing, wasted prayers. I have not
rested since I left the Hak-heb."

Her voice sounded hollow in the great empty hall.

"So? Thou art ready for the care of the physicians by this, then, O my
Sister."

"I am not thy sister."

"What! Hast quarreled with the gentle Seti?"

"Rameses, do not mock me. Seti does not even stir my pulses. He could
not rob me of my peace."

"What temperate love! Mine makes my temples crack and fills mine hours
with sweet distress."

Ta-user looked at him for a moment, then raising her hands, caught the
folds of his robe over his breast.

"Rameses, how far wilt thou go in this trifling with the Lady Masanath?"

"To the marrying priests." Without looking at her, he loosed her
hands, swung them idly and let them go.

"She does not love thee," she said after a little silence.

"Thy news is old. She told me that not a moment since."

Ta-user drew a freer breath. "Thou wilt not wed her, then."

"That I will. I have vowe