son!"

Ramses smiled.

"Centurion," said he to the officer, "take that woman with her child
and conduct her to the building where my household slaves dwell. That
Jewess will not be mistress here; she is to be the servant of her who
takes this place.

"And thou, steward," said he, turning to the official, "see that the
Jewess does not forget, to-morrow morning, to wash the feet of her
mistress, who will come hither directly. If this serving-woman should
prove stubborn, she is to receive stripes at command of her mistress.
Conduct the woman to the servants' quarters."

The officer and steward approached Sarah, but stopped, as they dared
not touch her; but there was no need to do so.

Sarah wound a garment around the puling child, and left the room,
whispering,

"O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, have mercy on us!"

She bowed low before the prince, and from her eyes tears flowed in
silence.

While she was still in the antechamber, Ramses heard her sweet voice,

"God of Abraham Isa."

When all was quiet, the viceroy called the officer and steward.

"Go with torches to the house among the fig-trees."

"I understand," replied the steward.

"And conduct hither, immediately, the woman who dwells there."

"It will be done."

"Thenceforth that woman will be thy mistress and the mistress of Sarah;
the Jewess must wash the feet of her mistress every morning, pour water
to her, and hold a mirror before her. That is my will, my command."

"It shall be accomplished," said the steward.

"And to-morrow morning Thou wilt tell me if the new servant is
stubborn."

When he had given these commands, he returned home; but he did not
sleep that night. He felt that without raising his voice for a moment
he had crushed Sarah, the wretched Jewess, who had dared to deceive
him. He had punished her as a king who with one movement of the eye
dashes people down from heights into the abyss of servitude. But Sarah
was merely an instrument of the priests, and the heir had too great a
feeling of justice to forgive the real authors when he had broken the
instrument.

His rage was intensified all the more because the priests were
unassailable. He might send out Sarah with her child in the middle of
the night to the servants' house, but he could not deprive Herhor of
his power, nor Mefres of the high priesthood. Sarah had fallen at his
feet, like a trampled worm; but Herhor and Mefres, who had snatched his
first-born from him, to