grew worse. She was delirious at
times, and then would fall into a prolonged slumber.

"If she were to die here," said Thamar, "we should be accused of having
killed her."

"She will not die," replied Ra'hel, putting a cup of cool water to the
lips of the sick girl.

"If she does, I shall throw her body by night into the Nile," continued
the obstinate Thamar, "and the crocodiles will undertake to make it
disappear."

The day passed, the night came, and at the accustomed hour Poeri, having
given the usual signal, appeared as he had done the night before on the
threshold of the hut.

Ra'hel came to meet him, her finger on her lips, and signed to him to
keep silence and to speak low, for Tahoser was sleeping. Poeri, whom
Ra'hel led by the hand to the bed on which Tahoser rested, at once
recognised the sham Hora, whose disappearance had preoccupied him a
good deal, especially since the visit of Timopht, who was looking for
her in his master's name.

Marked astonishment showed in his face as he rose, after having bent
over the bed to make quite certain that the young girl who lay there was
the one whom he had welcomed, for he could not understand how she
happened to be in this place. His look of surprise smote Ra'hel to the
heart. She stood in front of Poeri to read the truth in his eyes, placed
her hands upon his shoulders, and fixing her glance upon him, said, in a
dry, sharp voice which contrasted with her speech, usually as gentle as
the cooing of a dove,--

"So you know her?"

Thamar grinned with satisfaction; she was proud of her perspicacity, and
almost glad to see her suspicions as regarded the stranger partially
justified.

"Yes," replied Poeri, quietly.

The bright eyes of the old woman sparkled with malicious curiosity.

Ra'hel's face resumed its expression of trustfulness; she no longer
doubted her lover.

Poeri told her that a girl calling herself Hora had presented herself at
his home as a suppliant; that he had received her as any guest should
be received; that the next day she had disappeared from among the maids,
and that he could not understand how she happened to be there. He also
added that the emissaries of the Pharaoh were everywhere looking for
Tahoser, the daughter of the high-priest Petamounoph, who had
disappeared from her palace.

"You see that I was right, mistress," said Thamar, triumphantly. "Hora
and Tahoser are one and the same person."

"That may be," replied Poeri, "but