Radames," and it was his summons to judgment.

"Oh, who can save him now?" Amneris murmured, horrified at what was
taking place.

"Defend thyself!" she heard voices from below command. There was no
answer.

"Radames, Radames, Radames," the High Priest called again in a fearful
voice, and again the Princess shuddered.

"Thou hast deserted the encampment the very day before the
combat!--defend thyself." She listened, but still no answer.

"Radames, Radames, Radames," again the High Priest called, and for the
third and last time. Still no answer.

"Oh, have mercy on him," Amneris then cried, her love becoming greater
than her desire for revenge. Then listening again, she heard the judge
say:

"Radames, thy fate is decided. It is to be the fate of a traitor. You
shall be buried alive beneath the altar of the God of War, whom thou
hast derided and betrayed."

"Oh, horror," Amneris shrieked.

"We have spoken," the priests replied, and then ascended.

"Ye priests of Isis, ye are tigers! demons!" and the Princess assailed
them bitterly as they came into the hall. She was now mad with grief.
Truly loving Radames, she cursed the priests and even the gods. Then
the scene changed, revealing the interior of Vulcan's Temple and the
crypt beneath the altar. There were spectral statues, and great marble
columns which seemed to vanish in the gloom, and all was gloomy as the
grave. Stairs led from the temple above into the vault, and Radames
sat down upon the steps as the priests let down again the massive
stone that covered the opening beneath the altar. Radames watched the
closing of the opening, the descent of the great stone into place.

"I can bear my fate, since Aida may never know. She could not survive
such horror," he said, under his breath. The vault, the ghostly cold
about him, the rows upon rows of senseless marble, supported by the
expressionless stone faces of the gods, these things overwhelmed the
great warrior. Then, from the gloom, he saw a white figure emerge. Is
it a phantom? At first he thought it some fearful vision. But as he
peered through the twilight he recognized--Aida. Perhaps it was her
ghost come to comfort him, he thought, and raised himself to stare at
the figure.

"Aida!"

"I am here to die with thee," she answered, and Radames clasped her in
his arms. He had thought her safe, unacquainted with his fate, but she
was there to share it.

"My heart foreboded thy fearful sentence," she said.