. "I feel that my repulsion
for this maiden begins to grow weaker."

"The least drop of the pharaoh's blood should raise itself above
nations, like a star above the earth," added Herhor.

At that moment the heir's boat moved at a few tens of paces from the
royal barge, and the queen, shielded by her fan, looked at Sarah
through its feathers.

"In truth the girl is shapely," whispered Queen Nikotris.

"Thou art saying those words for the second time, worthy lady."

"So Thou hast noted that?" laughed her worthiness.

Herhor dropped his eyes.

In the boat was heard a harp, and Sarah began a hymn, with trembling
voice,

"How great is Jehovah, O Israel! how great is Jehovah, thy God."

"A most beautiful voice," whispered the queen.

The high priest listened with attention.

"His days have no beginning," sang Sarah, "and His dwelling has no
limit. The eternal heavens change beneath His eye, like a garment which
a man puts on his body and then casts away from him. The stars flash
up, and are quenched, like sparks from fuel, and the earth is like a
brick which a traveler touches once with his foot while going ever
farther.

"How great is thy Lord, O Israel! There is no being who can say to Him,
'Do this!' there is no womb which could have given birth to Him. He
created the bottomless deeps above which He moves when He wishes. He
brings light out of darkness, and from the dust of the earth He creates
living things which have voices.

"For Him savage lions are as locusts, the immense elephant He looks on
as nothing, before Him the whale is as weak as an infant.

"His tricolored bow divides the heavens into two parts and rests on the
ends of the earth plain. Where are the gates which could equal Him in
loftiness? Nations are in terror at the thunder of His chariot, and
there is naught beneath the sun which could stand His flashing arrows.

"His breath is the north wind at midnight, which freshens trees when
withering, His anger is like the chamsin which burns what it touches.

"When He stretches His hands above the waters, they are petrified. He
pours the sea into new places, as a woman pours out leaven. He rends
the earth as if it were old linen, and clothes in silvery snow the
naked tops of mountains.

"In a grain of wheat He hides one hundred other grains, and causes
birds to incubate. From the drowsy chrysalis He leads to life a golden
butterfly, and makes men's bodies wait in tombs until the day of
resur