s the doors."

Then one of the two men, he who was shaven like a priest, cried with a
great voice:

"_Pharaoh! Pharaoh! Pharaoh!_ Hearken to the word of Jahveh. Wilt thou
let the people go?"

"I will not let them go," he answered.

"_Pharaoh! Pharaoh! Pharaoh!_ Hearken to the word of Jahveh. If thou
wilt not let the people go, then shall all the firstborn of Khem, of the
Prince and the slave, of the ox and the ass, be smitten of Jahveh. Wilt
thou let the people go?"

Now Pharaoh hearkened, and those who were at the feast rose and cried
with a loud voice:

"O Pharaoh, let the people go! Great woes are fallen upon Khem because
of the Apura. O Pharaoh, let the people go!"

Now Pharaoh's heart was softened and he was minded to let them go, but
Meriamun turned to him and said:

"Thou shalt not let the people go. It is not these slaves, nor the God
of these slaves, who bring the plagues on Khem, but it is that strange
Goddess, the False Hathor, who dwells here in the city of Tanis. Be
not so fearful--ever hadst thou a coward heart. Drive the False Hathor
thence if thou wilt, but hold these slaves to their bondage. I still
have cities that must be built, and yon slaves shall build them."

Then the Pharaoh cried: "Hence! I bid you. Hence, and to-morrow shall
your people be laden with a double burden and their backs shall be red
with stripes. I will not let the people go!"

Then the two men cried aloud, and pointing upward with their staffs they
vanished from the hall, and none dared to lay hands on them, but those
who sat at the feast murmured much.

Now the Wanderer marvelled why Pharaoh did not command the Guards to cut
down these unbidden guests, who spoiled his festival. The Queen Meriamun
saw the wonder in his eyes and turned to him.

"Know thou, Eperitus," she said, "that great plagues have come of late
on this land of ours--plagues of lice and frogs and flies and darkness,
and the changing of pure waters to blood. And these things our Lord
the Pharaoh deems have been brought upon us by the curse of yonder
magicians, conjurers and priests among certain slaves who work in the
land at the building of our cities. But I know well that the curses come
on us from Hathor, the Lady of Love, because of that woman who hath set
herself up here in Tanis, and is worshipped as the Hathor."

"Why then, O Queen," said the Wanderer, "is this false Goddess suffered
to abide in your fair city? for, as I know well, the immort