our later, to the deafening sound of bells, appeared in the
gloom of the chamber a golden boat hidden by curtains which moved at
times as if some living being were sitting behind them.

The priests prostrated themselves, and Ramses looked intently at the
transparent curtains. One of these was turned aside and the pharaoh saw
a child of rare beauty which looked at him with such wise eyes that the
ruler of Egypt was almost afraid of it.

"This is Horus," whispered the priest. "Horus the rising sun. He is the
son of Osiris and also his father, and the husband of his own mother,
who is his sister."

The procession began, but only through the interior of the temple. In
advance went harpers and female dancers, next a white bull with a
golden shield between his horns, then two choruses of priests and high
priests bearing the god, then choruses, and finally the pharaoh in a
litter borne by eight priests of the temple.

When the procession had passed through all the corridors and halls of
the temple, and the god and Ramses had returned to the chamber of
repose, the curtain concealing the sacred boat slipped apart and the
beautiful child smiled at the pharaoh.

After that Sem bore away the boat and the god to the chapel.

"One might become a high priest," said the pharaoh, who was so pleased
with the child that he would have been glad to see it as often as
possible.

But when he had gone forth from the temple and seen the sun and the
throng of delighted people, he confessed in his soul that he understood
nothing. He knew not whence they had brought that child, unlike any
other child in Egypt, whence that superhuman wisdom in its eyes, nor
what the meaning was of all that he himself had seen.

Suddenly he remembered his murdered son, who might have been as
beautiful, and the ruler of Egypt wept in presence of a hundred
thousand subjects.

"Converted! The pharaoh is converted!" said the priests. "Barely has he
entered the dwelling of Osiris, and his heart is touched."

That same day one blind man and two paralytics, who were praying
outside the walls of the temple, recovered health. The council of
priests decided, therefore, to reckon that day in the list of those
which were miraculous, and to paint a picture on the external wall of
the edifice representing the weeping pharaoh and the cured people.

Ramses returned rather late in the afternoon to his palace to hear
reports. When all the dignitaries had left the cabinet