ntively, he saw standing closely together between the entrance
and the lamps a forest of columns, the tops of which were lost in
darkness. At a distance, perhaps two hundred yards from him, he saw
indistinctly the gigantic legs of a sitting goddess with her hands
resting on her knees, from which the lamplight was reflected dimly.

All at once he heard a sound from afar. From a side passage a row of
white figures pushed forth, moving in couples. This was a night
procession of priests, who, singing in two choruses, gave homage to the
statue of the goddess: Chorus I. "I am He who created heaven and earth
and made all things contained in them." Chorus II. "I am He who created
the waters and the great overflow, He who made for the bull his mother
whose parent he himself is." Chorus I "I am He who made heaven and the
secrets of its horizon; as to the gods I it was who placed their souls
in them." Chorus II. "I am He who when he opens his eyes there is light
in the world and when he closes them darkness is present." Chorus I.
"The waters of the Nile flow when he commands." Chorus II. "But the
gods do not know what his name is." [Authentic.].

The voices, indistinct at first, grew stronger, so that each word was
audible, and when the procession disappeared the words scattered among
the columns, growing ever fainter. At last every sound ceased.

"And still those people," thought Ramses, "not only eat, drink, and
gather wealth they really perform religious services even in the night-
time; though, how is that to affect the statue?"

The prince had seen more than once the statues of boundary divinities
bespattered with mud by the inhabitants of another province, or shot at
from bows or slings by mercenary soldiers. "If gods are not offended by
insult, they must also care little for prayers and processions.
Besides, who has seen gods?" said the prince to himself.

The immensity of the temple, its countless columns, the lamps burning
in front of the statue, all this attracted Ramses. He wished to look
around in that mysterious immensity, and he went forward. Then it
seemed to him that some hand from behind touched his head tenderly. He
looked around. No one was there; so he went farther.

This time the two hands of some person seized him by the head, and a
third, a great hand, rested on his shoulder.

"Who is here?" cried he prince; and he rushed in among the columns. But
he stumbled and almost fell: some one caught him by th