, Thou art a kind god,
hence Thou canst not be unjust to thy priestess."

The prince turned away again, and shook as if wishing to cast down a
burden. Kama looked from beneath her drooping lids at him, and smiled
slightly.

When silence had endured too long, she said,

"Thou hast commanded to summon me, Sovereign. Here I am, to hear what
thy will is."

"Aha!" said the prince, recovering. "But tell me, O, priestess, aha!
who was that who resembled me so closely, the man whom I saw that night
in the temple?"

Kama placed a finger on her lips.

"A sacred mystery," whispered she.

"One thing is a mystery, another is not permitted," replied Ramses.
"Let me know at least whether it was a man or a spirit?"

"A spirit."

"But still that spirit sang under thy window."

Kama laughed.

"I do not wish to violate the secrets of the temple."

"Thou hast promised that to Prince Hiram," put in the priestess.

"Well, well," interrupted the irritated viceroy; "for this cause I
shall not speak with Hiram or any other man about this miracle, only
with thee. Now, Kama, tell this spirit or man who is so like me to
leave Egypt at the earliest, and not to show himself to any one. For,
seest thou, in no state can there be two heirs to the throne."

All at once he tapped his forehead. Up to that instant he had spoken so
as to trouble Kama, but now an idea altogether serious came to him.

"I am curious," said he, looking sharply at Kama, "to know why thy
compatriots showed me my own living picture. Do they wish to forewarn
me that they have a man to supplant me? Indeed, their act is
astounding."

Kama fell at his feet.

"O lord!" whispered she, "Thou who bearest on thy breast our highest
talisman, canst Thou suppose that the Phoenicians would do aught to
injure thee? But only think if danger threatened thee, or if Thou hadst
the wish to mystify enemies, would not such a man be of service? The
Phoenician only wished to show thee this in the temple."

The prince meditated a moment, and shrugged his shoulders.

"So," thought he, "if I needed any one's assistance! But do the
Phoenicians think that I need assistance? If I do they have chosen a
poor protector."

"Lord!" whispered Kama, "is it not known to thee that Ramses the Great
had, in addition to his own person, two others to show enemies? Those
two shadows of the pharaoh perished, but he survived."

"Well, enough of this," interrupted the prince. "But that the people o