n apron, and scattered it almost in
handfuls.

The most beautiful season of the year was beginning in Egypt, the
winter. Heat did not go beyond 70 Fahrenheit; the earth was covered
quickly with emerald green, from out which sprang narcissus and
violets. The odor of them came forth oftener and oftener amid the odor
of earth and water.

A number of times the barge bearing the worthy lady Nikotris and the
vice-pharaoh Herhor appeared near Sarah's dwelling. Each time the
prince saw his mother conversing with the minister joyously, and
convinced himself that they refrained ostentatiously from looking
toward him, as if to show indifference.

"Wait!" whispered he, in anger, "I will show you that life does not
annoy me, either."

So when one day, shortly before sunset, the queen's gilded barge
appeared with a purple tent having ostrich plumes on each of its four
comers, Ramses gave command to prepare a boat for two persons, and told
Sarah that he would sail with her.

"O Jehovah!" cried she, clasping her hands. "But thy mother is there,
and the viceroy!"

"But in this boat will be the heir to the throne. Take thy harp,
Sarah."

"And the harp, too?" cried Sarah. "But if her worthiness were to speak
to thee! I should throw myself into the river."

"Be not a child," replied Ramses, laughing. "My mother and his
worthiness love songs immensely. Thou mayest even win their favor if
Thou sing some splendid song of the Hebrews. Let there be love in it."

"I know no song of that kind," answered Sarah, in whom the prince's
words had roused hope of some sort. Her song might please those
powerful rulers, and then what?

On the royal barge they saw that the heir to the throne was sitting in
a simple boat and rowing.

"Dost Thou see, worthiness," whispered the queen to the minister, "that
he is rowing toward us with his Jewess?"

"The heir has borne himself with such correctness toward his warriors
and his people, and has shown so much compunction in withdrawing from
the limits of the palace, that his mother may forgive small errors,"
answered Herhor.

"Oh, if he were not sitting in that boat, I would give command to break
it!" said the worthy lady.

"For what reason?" asked the minister. "The prince would be no
descendant of high priests and pharaohs if he did not break through
restraints which the law, alas, puts on him, or perhaps our mistaken
customs. He has given proof in every case that in serious junctures he
is ab