peared on the Nile, and Prince Ramses was annoyed in real earnest.

The month Mechir (December) was approaching. The waters decreased, the
land extended more widely each day, the grass became higher and
thicker, and in the grass flashed up flowers of the most varied hues
and of incomparable odor. Like islands in a green sea appeared, in the
course of a single day, flowery places, as it were white, azure,
yellow, rosy, or many colored carpets from which rose an intoxicating
odor. Still the prince was wearied, and even feared something. From the
day of his father's departure he had not been in the palace, and no one
from the palace had come to him, save Tutmosis, who since the last
conversation had vanished like a snake in the grass. "Whether they
respected the prince's seclusion, or desired to annoy him, or simply
feared to pay him a visit because he had been touched by disfavor,
Ramses had no means of knowing.

"My father may exclude me from the throne, as he has my elder
brothers," thought the heir sometimes; and sweat came out on his
forehead, while his feet became cold.

"What would he do in that case?"

Moreover Sarah was ill, thin, pale, her great eyes sank; at times she
complained of faintness which attacked her in the morning.

"Surely some one has bewitched the poor thing," groaned the cunning
Tafet, whom the prince could not endure for her chattering and very bad
management.

A couple of times, for instance, the heir noticed that in the evening
Tafet sent off to Memphis immense baskets with food, linen, even
vessels. Next day she complained in heaven-piercing accents that flour,
wine, and even vessels were lacking. Since the heir had come to the
villa ten times more of various products had been used there than
formerly.

"I am certain," thought Ramses, "that that chattering termagant robs me
for her Jews, who vanish in the daytime but are prowling around in the
night, like rats in the nastiest comers!"

The prince's only amusement in these days was to look at the date
harvest. A naked man took his place at the foot of a high palm without
side branches, surrounded the trunk and himself with a circular rope
which resembled the hoop of a barrel. Then he raised himself on the
tree by his heels, his whole body bent backward, but the hoop-like rope
held him by squeezing his body to the tree. Next he shoved the flexible
hoop up the trunk some inches, raised himself by his heels again, then
shoved the rope up