she put
her arms around his neck thus," said the prince (here he put his arms
around the priestess), "and she nestled up to his breast thus" (here he
nestled up to Kama).

"Lord, what art Thou doing?" whispered Kama. "But this is nay death."

"Have no fear," replied the prince; "I was only showing thee what the
statue did to that scribe in his palace. The moment she embraced him
the earth trembled, the palace disappeared, dogs, horses, slaves
vanished. The hill covered with grape-vines turned into a cliff, the
olive-trees into thorns, the wheat into sand. The scribe, when he
recovered in the embrace of his love, understood that he was as poor as
he had been on the highroad a day earlier. But he did not regret his
wealth, since he had a woman who loved and who clung to him."

"So everything vanished but the woman!" exclaimed Kama, naively.

"The compassionate Amon left her to the scribe to console him," said
the viceroy.

"Then Amon is compassionate only to scribes," answered Kama. "But what
does that story signify?"

"Guess. But Thou hast just heard what the poor scribe yielded up for
the kiss of a woman."

"But he would not yield up a throne," interrupted the priestess.

"Who knows? if he were implored greatly to do so," whispered Ramses,
with passion.

"Oh, no!" cried Kama, tearing away from him; "let not the throne go so
easily, for what would become then of thy promise to Phoenicia?"

They looked into each other's eyes for a long time. The prince felt a
wound in his heart, and felt as if through that wound some feeling had
gone from him. It was not passion, for passion remained; but it was
esteem for Kama, and faith in her.

"Wonderful are these Phoenicians," thought the heir; "one may go wild
for them, but 'tis not possible to trust them."

He felt wearied, and took farewell of the priestess. He looked around
the chamber as though it were difficult to leave the place; and while
going, he said to himself,

"And still Thou wilt be mine, and Phoenician gods will not kill thee,
if they regard their own priests and temples."

Barely had Ramses left Kama's villa, when into the chamber of the
priestess rushed a young Greek who was strikingly beautiful, and
strikingly similar to Ramses. Rage was depicted on his face.

"Lykon!" cried the terrified Kama. "What art Thou doing here?"

"Vile reptile!" replied the Greek, in his resonant voice. "A month has
not passed since thy oath, declaring thy love, and t