ught and killed the Prince of Kesh
before her eyes, and now has gone to make amends to the king his father
at the head of an army."

"That may be true, Merytra. Why not? He is her foster-brother and of
royal blood, bold, too, and handsome, they say. Well, queens have no
business to be in love. That is the privilege of humbler folk like you
and me, Merytra. Say, is she suspicious--about Prince Abi, I mean?"

"I do not know, but Asti, her nurse and favourite lady, the wife of
Mermes and mother of Rames, is suspicious enough. She is a greater
magician than you are, Kaku, and if she could have had her way Pharaoh
would never have set foot in Memphis. But I got your letter and
over-persuaded him, the poor fool. You see he thinks me faithful to
his House, and that is why I am allowed to be here to-night, to collect
information."

"Ah! Well, what Asti knows the Queen will know, and she is stronger than
Pharaoh, and notwithstanding all Abi's ships and soldiers, may break
away from Memphis and make war upon him. So it comes to this--Pharaoh
must stay here, for his daughter will not desert him."

"How will you make him stay here, Kaku? Not by----" and she glanced
towards the shrouded crystal.

"Nay, no blood if it can be helped. He must not even seem to be a
prisoner, it is too dangerous. But there are other ways."

"What ways? Poison?"

"Too dangerous again. Now, if he fell sick, and he has been sick before,
and could not stir, it would give us time to bring about the marriage,
would it not? Oh! I know that he is well at present--for him, but look
here, Merytra, I have something to show you."

Then going to a chest Kaku took from it a plain box of cedar wood which
was shaped like a mummy case, and, lifting off its lid, revealed within
it a waxen figure of the length of a hand. This figure was beautifully
fashioned to the living likeness of Pharaoh, and crowned with the double
crown of Egypt.

"What is it?" asked Merytra, shrinking back. "An _ushapti_ to be placed
in his tomb?"

"No, woman, a magic Ka fashioned with many a spell out of yonder ancient
roll, that can bring _him_ to the tomb if it be rightly used, as you
shall use it."

"I!" she exclaimed, starting. "How?"

"Thus: You, as one of Pharaoh's favourite ladies, have charge of the
chamber where he sleeps. Now you must make shift to enter there alone
and lay this figure in his bed, that the breath of Pharaoh may enter
into it. Then take it from the bed and