t then the father of Nitetis?"

"I myself pronounced the prayer over king Hophra's tomb."

"But who imparted the secret to thee?"

"The eternal stars, my son, and my skill in reading them."

"And do these stars never deceive?"

"Never him that truly understands them."

Psamtik turned pale. His father's dream and his own fearful horoscope
passed like awful visions through his mind. The priest detected at once
the change in his features and said gently: "Thou deem'st thyself a
lost man because the heavens prognosticated evil at thy birth; but take
comfort, Psamtik; I observed another sign in the heavens at that
moment, which escaped the notice of the astrologers. Thy horoscope was a
threatening, a very threatening one, but its omens may be averted, they
may..."

"O tell me, father, tell me how!"

"They must turn to good, if thou, forgetful of all else, canst live
alone to the gods, paying a ready obedience to the Divine voice audible
to us their priests alone in the innermost and holiest sanctuary."

"Father, I am ready to obey thy slightest word."

"The great goddess Neith, who rules in Sais, grant this, my son!"
answered the priest solemnly. "But now leave me alone," he continued
kindly, "lengthened devotions and the weight of years bring weariness.
If possible, delay the death of Phanes, I wish to speak with him before
he dies. Yet one more word. A troop of Ethiopians arrived yesterday.
These men cannot speak a word of Greek, and under a faithful leader,
acquainted with the Athenians and the locality, they would be the best
agents for getting rid of the doomed man, as their ignorance of the
language and the circumstances render treachery or gossip impossible.
Before starting for Naukratis, they must know nothing of the design
of their journey; the deed once accomplished, we can send them back to
Kush.--[The Egyptian name for Ethiopia.] Remember, a secret can never
be too carefully kept! Farewell." Psamtik had only left the room a few
moments, when a young priest entered, one of the king's attendants.

"Have I listened well, father?" he enquired of the old man.

"Perfectly, my son. Nothing of that which passed between Amasis and
Psamtik has escaped thine ears. May Isis preserve them long to thee!"

"Ah, father, a deaf man could have heard every word in the ante-chamber
to-day, for Amasis bellowed like an ox."

"The great Neith has smitten him with the lack of prudence, yet I
command thee to speak of the