permit thee to love? Ei,
those are threats! For me Thou wilt make exception."

"All Phoenicia would curse me; the gods would take vengeance," replied
she, with a smile.

Ramses drew her again toward him; again she tore herself free.

"Have a care, prince," said she, with a challenging look. "Phoenicia is
mighty, and her gods."

"What care I for thy gods or Phoenicia? Were a hair to fall from thy
head, I would trample Phoenicia as I might a foul reptile."

"Kama! Kama!" called a voice from the statue.

She was frightened.

"Thou seest they call me. They may have heard thy blaspheming."

"They may have heard my anger."

"The anger of the gods is more terrible."

She tore away and vanished in the darkness of the temple. Ramses rushed
after her, but was pushed back on a sudden. The whole temple between
him and the altar was filled with an immense bloody flame, in which
monstrous figures appeared, huge bats, reptiles with human heads,
shades.

The flame advanced toward him directly across the whole width of the
building; and, amazed by this sight, which was new to him, the prince
retreated. All at once fresh air was around him. He turned his head he
was outside the temple, and that instant the bronze doors closed with a
crash behind.

He rubbed his eyes, he looked around. The moon from the highest point
in the heavens had lowered toward the west. At the side of the column
Ramses found his sword and burnous. He raised them, and moved down the
steps like a drunken man.

When he returned to his palace at a late hour, Tutmosis, on seeing his
pale face and troubled look, cried with alarm,

"By the gods! where hast Thou been, Erpatr? Thy whole court is alarmed
and sleepless."

"I was looking at the city. The night is beautiful."

"Dost Thou know," added Tutmosis, hurriedly, as if fearing that some
one else might anticipate him, "that Sarah has given thee a son?"

"Indeed? I wish no one in the retinue to be alarmed when I go out to
walk."

"Alone?"

"If I could not go out alone when it pleases me, I should be the most
wretched slave in Egypt," said Ramses, bitterly.

He gave his sword and burnous to Tutmosis, and went to his bedroom
without calling any one. Yesterday the birth of a son would have filled
him with gladness; but at that moment he received the news with
indifference. His whole soul was occupied with the thought of that
evening, the most wonderful in all his life experience. He still saw
the