h."

"You are beside yourself, and know not what you say. I tell you that I
have no magic to give or to withhold," she answered, as one who did not
understand or was indifferent, and turned away from him.

Thereon he muttered some curse which I could not catch, bowed to the
heap of dust that had been the statue of the god, and vanished away
among the pillars of the sanctuary.

"Oho-ho!" laughed Bakenkhonsu. "Not in vain have I lived to be so very
old, for now it seems we have a new god in Egypt, and there stands his
prophetess."

Merapi came to the prince.

"O high-priest of Amon," she said, "does it please you to let me go, for
I am very weary?"

CHAPTER X

THE DEATH OF PHARAOH

It was the appointed day and hour. By command of the Prince I drove with
him to the palace of Pharaoh, whither her Highness the Princess refused
to be his companion, and for the first time we talked together of that
which had passed in the temple.

"Have you seen the lady Merapi?" he asked of me.

I answered No, as I was told that she was sick within her house and lay
abed suffering from weariness, or I knew not what.

"She does well to keep there," said Seti, "I think that if she came out
those priests would murder her if they could. Also there are others,"
and he glanced back at the chariot that bore Userti in state. "Say, Ana,
can you interpret all this matter?"

"Not I, Prince. I thought that perhaps your Highness, the high-priest of
Anon, could give me light."

"The high-priest of Amon wanders in thick darkness. Ki and the rest
swear that this Israelite is a sorceress who has outmatched their magic,
but to me it seems more simple to believe that what she says is true;
that her god is greater than Amon."

"And if this be true, Prince, what are we to do who are sworn to the
gods of Egypt?"

"Bow our heads and fall with them, I suppose, Ana, since honour will not
suffer us to desert them."

"Even if they be false, Prince?"

"I do not think that they are false, Ana, though mayhap they be less
true. At least they are the gods of the Egyptians and we are Egyptians."
He paused and glanced at the crowded streets, then added, "See, when I
passed this way three days ago I was received with shouts of welcome by
the people. Now they are silent, every one."

"Perhaps they have heard of what passed in the temple."

"Doubtless, but it is not that which troubles them who think that the
gods can guard themselves. They have hea