es came to his ears in one low, sweet murmur.

In his amaze Smith had forgotten fear. From his hiding-place he watched
them intently. Some of them he knew by their faces. There, for instance,
was the long-necked Khu-en-aten, talking somewhat angrily to the
imperial Rameses II. Smith could understand what he said, for this power
seemed to have been given to him. He was complaining in a high, weak
voice that on this, the one night of the year when they might meet,
the gods, or the magic images of the gods who were put up for them to
worship, should not include _his_ god, symbolized by the "Aten," or the
sun's disc.

"I have heard of your Majesty's god," replied Rameses; "the priests used
to tell me of him, also that he did not last long after your Majesty
flew to heaven. The Fathers of Amen gave you a bad name; they called you
'the heretic' and hammered out your cartouches. They were quite rare in
my time. Oh, do not let your Majesty be angry! So many of us have
been heretics. My grandson, Seti, there"--and he pointed to a mild,
thoughtful-faced man--"for example. I am told that he really worshipped
the god of those Hebrew slaves whom I used to press to build my cities.
Look at that lady with him. Beautiful, isn't she? Observe her large,
violet eyes! Well, she was the one who did the mischief, a Hebrew
herself. At least, they tell me so."

"I will talk with him," answered Khu-en-aten. "It is more than possible
that we may agree on certain points. Meanwhile, let me explain to your
Majesty----"

"Oh, I pray you, not now. There is my wife."

"Your wife?" said Khu-en-aten, drawing himself up. "Which wife? I am
told that your Majesty had many and left a large family; indeed, I
see some hundreds of them here to-night. Now, I--but let me introduce
Nefertiti to your Majesty. I may explain that she was my _only_ wife."

"So I have understood. Your Majesty was rather an invalid, were you not?
Of course, in those circumstances, one prefers the nurse whom one can
trust. Oh, pray, no offence! Nefertari, my love--oh, I beg pardon!
--Astnefert--Nefertari has gone to speak to some of her children--let
me introduce you to your predecessor, the Queen Nefertiti, wife of
Amenhotep IV.--I mean Khu-en-aten (he changed his name, you know,
because half of it was that of the father of the gods). She is
interested in the question of plural marriage. Good-bye! I wish to have
a word with my grandfather, Rameses I. He was fond of me as a little