drifted sand in some places and deep in mud from the inundation waters
in others. At length I found the troops just starting forward after
their rest, and rejoiced to see that there were more of them than I
had thought. I told the case to their captains, who promised to make a
forced march and to be in Memphis two hours before midnight.

As we drove back Bes said to me suddenly,

"Do you know why you could not find me this morning?"

I answered that I did not.

"Because a good slave should always run a pace ahead of his master, to
clear the road and tell him of its pitfalls. I was being married. The
Cup of the holy Tanofir is now by law and right Queen of the Ethiopians.
So when you meet her again you must treat her with great respect, as I
do already."

"Indeed, Bes," I said laughing, "and how did you manage that business?
You must have wooed her well during these days which have been so full
for both of us."

"I did not woo her over much, Master; indeed, the time was lacking. I
wooed the holy Tanofir, which was more important."

"The holy Tanofir, Bes?" I exclaimed.

"Yes, Master. You see this beautiful Cup of his is after all--his
beautiful Cup. Her mind is the shadow of his mind and from her he pours
out his wisdom. So I told him all the case. At first he was angry, for,
notwithstanding the words he spoke to you and me, when it came to a
point the holy Tanofir, being after all much like other men, did not
wish to lose his Cup. Indeed had he been a few score of years younger
I am not sure but that he would have forgotten some of his holiness
because of her. Still he came to see matters in the true light at
last--for your sake, Master, not for mine, since his wisdom told him
it was needful that I should become King of the Ethiopians again, to do
which I must be married. At any rate he worked upon the mind of that Cup
of his--having first settled that she should procure a younger sister of
her own to fill her place--in such fashion that when at length I spoke
to her on the matter, she did not say no."

"No doubt because she was fond of you for yourself, Bes. A woman would
not marry even to please the holy Tanofir."

"Oh! Master," he replied in a new voice, a very sad voice, "I would
that I could think so. But look at me, a misshapen dwarf, accursed from
birth. Could a fair lady like this Karema wed such a one for his own
sake?"

"Well, Bes, there might be other reasons besides the holy Tanofir," I
said