cares, no more plannings for the welfare of Egypt,
no more persuading of the doubtful to take up arms, no more desperate
battle-ventures with your country's honour on your sword-point. And if
you must see women--well, there are plenty in Ethiopia who come and go
lightly as an evening breeze laden with the odour of flowers, and never
trouble in the morning."

"At any rate _you_ are not free from such coils, Bes," I said and in the
moonlight I saw his great face fall in.

"No, Master, I am tying them about my throat. See, such is the way of
the world, or of the gods that rule the world, I know not which. For
years I have been happy and free, I have enjoyed adventures and visited
strange countries and have gathered learning, till I think I am the
wisest man upon the Nile, at the side of one whom I loved and holding
nothing at risk, except my own life which mattered no more than that of
a gnat dancing in the sun. Now all is changed. I have a wife whom I love
also, more than I can tell you," and he sighed, "but who still must
be looked after and obeyed--yes, obeyed. Further, soon I shall have a
people and a crown to wear, and councillors and affairs of state, and
an ancient religion to support and the Grasshopper itself knows what
besides. The burden has rolled from your back to mine, Master, making my
heart which was so light, heavy, and oh! I wish it had stopped where it
was."

Even then I laughed, sad as I was, for truth lived in the philosophy of
Bes.

"Master," he went on in a changed voice, "I have been a fool and my
folly has worked you ill. Forgive me since I acted for the best, only
until the end no one ever knows what is the best. Now here is the house
and I go to meet my wife and to make certain arrangements. By dawn
perhaps you will be ready to start to Ethiopia."

"Do you really desire that I should accompany you there, Bes?"

"Certainly, Master. That is unless you should desire that I accompany
you somewhere else instead, by sea southward for instance. If so, I do
not know that I would refuse, since Ethiopia will not run away and there
is much of the world that I should still like to visit. Only then there
is Karema to be thought about, who expects, or, when she learns all,
soon will expect, to be a queen," he added doubtfully.

"No, Bes, I am too tired to make new plans, so let us go to Ethiopia and
not disappoint Karema, who after holding a cup so long naturally would
like to try a sceptre."

"I th