Meneptah. In this, as in all things else,
I have conquered thee.'

"And she rose, and standing full in the light of the lamps, the Royal
uraeus on her brow, she mocked him, bidding him come do homage to her
who had won his crown, and stretching forth her small hand for him to
kiss it. And so wondrous was her beauty that the divine Prince of Kush
ceased to call upon the evil Gods because of his ill fortune, and stood
gazing on her.

"'By Ptah, but thou art fair,' he cried, 'and I pardon my father at last
for willing thee to be my Queen!'

"'But I will never pardon him,' said Meriamun.

"Now the Prince had drunk much wine.

"'Thou shalt be my Queen,' he said, 'and for earnest I will kiss thee.
This, at the least, being the strongest, I can do.' And ere she could
escape him, he passed his arm about her and seized her by the girdle,
and kissed her on the lips and let her go.

"Meriamun grew white as the dead. By her side there hung a dagger.
Swiftly she drew it, and swiftly struck at his heart, so that had he
not shrunk from the steel surely he had been slain; and she cried as she
struck, 'Thus, Prince, I pay thy kisses back.'

"But as it chanced, she only pierced his arm, and before she could
strike again I had seized her by the hand.

"'Thou serpent,' said the Prince, pale with rage and fear. 'I tell thee
I will kiss thee yet, whether thou wilt or not, and thou shalt pay for
this.'

"But she laughed softly now that her anger was spent, and I led him
forth to seek a physician, who should bind up his wound. And when he was
gone, I returned, and spoke to her, wringing my hands.

"'Oh, Royal Lady, what hast thou done? Thou knowest well that thy divine
father destines thee to wed the Prince of Kush whom but now thou didst
smite so fiercely.'

"'Nay, Rei, I will none of him--the dull clod, who is called the son
of Pharaoh. Moreover, he is my half-brother, and it is not meet that I
should wed my brother. For nature cries aloud against the custom of the
land.'

"'Nevertheless, Lady, it _is_ the custom of thy Royal house, and thy
father's will. Thus the Gods, thine ancestors, were wed; Isis to
Osiris. Thus great Thothmes and Amenemhat did and decreed, and all their
forefathers and all their seed. Oh, bethink thee--I speak it for thine
ear, for I love thee as mine own daughter--bethink thee, for thou canst
not escape, that Pharaoh's bed is the step to Pharaoh's throne. Thou
lovest power; here is the gate of power, a