ike the basins in which the blood of
victims is collected.

The Pharaoh was not astonished at the wonder, and said to the Hebrews,--

"This miracle might terrify a credulous and ignorant people, but it has
nothing surprising for me. Let Ennana and the wise men come. They will
repeat this enchantment."

The wise men came, led by their chief. Ennana cast a glance on the river
and its purple waves, and saw at once what was the matter.

"Restore things to their primitive condition," he said to Mosche's
companion; "I will repeat your wonder."

Aharon again smote the stream, which at once resumed its natural colour.
Ennana nodded briefly, like an impartial expert who does justice to the
skill of a colleague; he considered the enchantment was well wrought for
one who had not had, like himself, the opportunity of studying wisdom in
the mysterious chambers of the labyrinth, where a very few of the
initiated can alone enter, so trying are the tests which have to be
undergone.

"It is my turn now," he said; and he stretched out over the Nile his rod
engraved with hieroglyphic signs, muttering a few words of a tongue so
old that it had probably ceased to be understood even in the days of
Mene, the first king of Egypt,--a language spoken by sphinxes, with
syllables of granite.

A vast red flood stretched suddenly from one bank to the other, and the
Nile again rolled ensanguined waves to the sea. The twenty-four
magicians saluted the king as if they were about to withdraw.

"Remain," said the Pharaoh.

They resumed their impassible countenances.

"Have you no other proof of your mission than that? My wise men, you
see, imitate your wonders very well."

Without appearing discouraged by the ironical words of the King, Mosche
replied: "In seven days' time, if you have not made up your mind to let
Israel go into the desert to sacrifice to the Lord according to their
rites, I shall return and perform another wonder before you."

At the end of seven days Mosche reappeared. He spoke to his servant
Aharon the words of the Lord:--

"Stretch out thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers,
and over the ponds, and cause the frogs to come up upon the land of
Egypt."

As soon as Aharon had done as he was bidden, millions of frogs emerged
from the canals, the rivers, and the marshes; they covered the fields
and the roads, they hopped upon the steps of the temples and the
palaces, they invaded the sanctuaries and the