her litter upon their shoulders, and another
waved a fan of black ostrich plumes over her. The litter was of
glittering ebony, hung with purple, tasseled with gold. At her right,
was Unas; at her left, Nari. Behind her were dusky attendants and sooty
sumpter-mules.

Her robes were white, and very fine, but there was no henna on her nails,
nor kohl beneath her lids, nor jewels in her hair. So she would prove
that, though she was a coming queen, she was not glad of it. Hers was
not the spirit that hides its trouble and enamels the exterior with false
flushes and smiles. She enveloped herself in her feelings. She
tinctured her voice with them; she made her eyes languid with them; and
the touch of her hand, the curve of her lips and the droop of her head
were eloquent of them.

By this time, she had despaired. There was yet an opportunity to spend
another day covering the remaining ten miles, but she would loiter no
longer. She was tired, of a truth.

It was near sunset when a company of royal guards, under Menes, rode up
from the north.

The captain flung himself from his horse and hurried to Masanath's litter.

"Holy Isis! Lady Masanath," he exclaimed; "where in all Egypt hast thou
hidden thyself these fourteen days? The whole army of the north hath
been searching after thee, and Rameses hath raved like a madman since
that day long past on which thou shouldst have arrived in Tanis."

"I have been on the way," she answered loftily. "The haste of the prince
is unseemly. I would not fatigue myself nor court disaster by
incautiousness, these perilous days."

Menes bowed. "I am reproved, and contrite. I forgot that I spoke with
my queen. But I am most grateful that thou didst permit me to find thee,
for Rameses sent me forth an hour since, with the hard alternative of
fetching thee to him or losing my head. But that he was sure of my
success is proved by the litter he sent between two horses for thee.
Wilt thou leave this and proceed in the other?"

Masanath answered by extending her hand to him. Three of the soldiers
laid their cloaks on the earth for her feet; six others let down the
litter and Menes assisted her into the sumptuous conveyance Rameses had
sent.

Another soldier, after rapid and low-spoken instructions from the
captain, whirled his horse about, saluted and took the road toward Tanis
at a gallop.

The six shouldered the litter of the crown princess-to-be, Menes mounted
his horse