ians, and rare
animals, followed in procession, the festal bark of Amon started from
the shore.

It was a large and gorgeous barge of wood, polished all over and
overlaid with gold, and its edge was decorated with glittering
glass-beads, which imitated rubies and emeralds; the masts and yards
were gilt, and purple sails floated from them. The seats for the priests
were of ivory, and garlands of lilies and roses hung round the vessel,
from its masts and ropes.

The Regent's Nile-boat was not less splendid; the wood-work shone
with gilding, the cabin was furnished with gay Babylonian carpets; a
lion's-head formed the prow, as formerly in Hatasu's sea-going vessels,
and two large rubies shone in it, for eyes. After the priests had
embarked, and the sacred barge had reached the opposite shore, the
people pressed into the boats, which, filled almost to sinking, soon
so covered the whole breadth of the river that there was hardly a spot
where the sun was mirrored in the yellow waters.

"Now I will put on the dress of a gardener," cried Rameri, "and cross
over with the wreaths."

"You will leave us alone?" asked Bent-Anat.

"Do not make me anxious," said Rameri.

"Go then," said the princess. "If my father were here how willingly I
would go too."

"Come with me," cried the boy. "We can easily find a disguise for you
too."

"Folly!" said Bent-Anat; but she looked enquiringly at Nefert, who
shrugged her shoulders, as much as to say: "Your will is my law."

Rameri was too sharp for the glances of the friends to have escaped him,
and he exclaimed eagerly:

"You will come with me, I see you will! Every beggar to-day flings his
flower into the common grave, which contains the black mummy of his
father--and shall the daughter of Rameses, and the wife of the chief
charioteer, be excluded from bringing garlands to their dead?"

"I shall defile the tomb by my presence," said Bent-Anat coloring.

"You--you!" exclaimed Rameri, throwing his arms round his sister's neck,
and kissing her. "You, a noble generous creature, who live only to
ease sorrow and to wipe away tears; you, the very image of my
father--unclean! sooner would I believe that the swans down there are
as black as crows, and the rose-wreaths on the balcony rank hemlock
branches. Bek-en-Chunsu pronounced you clean, and if Ameni--"

"Ameni only exercises his rights," said Bent-Anat gently, "and you know
what we have resolved. I will not hear one hard word about