, if she desired to turn her back on me. If I could win her in fair
love--well. If not, it was my misfortune, and I wanted her in no other
way. Lastly, I had reason to think that she looked on me more favourably
than she had ever done on any other man, and that if it had not been for
what my mother called her soul and its longings, she would have given
herself to me before I journeyed to the East. Indeed, once she had said
as much, and there was something in her eyes last night which told me
that in her heart she loved me, though with what passion at the time I
did not know. So very swiftly I made up my mind and answered,

"I understand and I accept. The gold shall be delivered to you to-day,
Prince. The pearls are already in your keeping to await the end."

"Good!" he exclaimed. "Then let the matter be reduced to writing and at
once, that afterwards neither of us may have cause to complain of the
other."

So he sent for his secret scribe and dictated to him, briefly but
clearly, the substance of our bargain, nothing being added, and nothing
taken away. This roll written on papyrus was afterwards copied twice,
Peroa taking one copy, I another, and a third being deposited according
to custom, in the library of the temple of Ptah.

When all was done and Peroa and I had touched each other's breasts and
given our word in the name of Amen, we went to the hall in which we
had dined, where those whom the Prince had summoned were assembled.
Altogether there were about thirty of them, great citizens of Memphis,
or landowners from without who had been called together in the night.
Some of these men were very old and could remember when Egypt had a
Pharaoh of its own before the East set its heel upon her neck, of noble
blood also.

Others were merchants who dealt with all the cities of Egypt; others
hereditary generals, or captains of fleets of ships; others Grecians,
officers of mercenaries who were supposed to be in the pay of the King
of kings, but hated him, as did all the Greeks. Then there were the high
priests of Ptah, of Amen, of Osiris and others who were still the most
powerful men in the land, since there was no village between Thebes and
the mouths of the Nile in which they had not those who were sworn to the
service of their gods.

Such was the company representing all that remained or could be gathered
there of the greatness of Egypt the ancient and the fallen.

To these when the doors had been closed and barr