hour she loved to sit on the balcony, as it grew cooler,
and watch with devout meditation the departure of Ra, who, as the
grey-haired Turn, vanished behind the western horizon of the Necropolis
in the evening to bestow the blessing of light on the under-world.

Nefert's apartment was far more elegantly appointed than the princess's;
her mother and Mena had surrounded her with a thousand pretty trifles.
Her carpets were made of sky-blue and silver brocade from Damascus, the
seats and couches were covered with stuff embroidered in feathers by the
Ethiopian women, which looked like the breasts of birds. The images of
the Goddess Hathor, which stood on the house-altar, were of an imitation
of emerald, which was called Mafkat, and the other little figures, which
were placed near their patroness, were of lapis-lazuli, malachite, agate
and bronze, overlaid with gold. On her toilet-table stood a collection
of salve-boxes, and cups of ebony and ivory finely carved, and
everything was arranged with the utmost taste, and exactly suited Nefert
herself.

Bent-Anat's room also suited the owner.

It was high and airy, and its furniture consisted in costly but simple
necessaries; the lower part of the wall was lined with cool tiles of
white and violet earthen ware, on each of which was pictured a star, and
which, all together, formed a tasteful pattern. Above these the walls
were covered with a beautiful dark green material brought from Sais, and
the same stuff was used to cover the long divans by the wall. Chairs and
stools, made of cane, stood round a very large table in the middle
of this room, out of which several others opened; all handsome,
comfortable, and harmonious in aspect, but all betraying that their
mistress took small pleasure in trifling decorations. But her chief
delight was in finely-grown plants, of which rare and magnificent
specimens, artistically arranged on stands, stood in the corners of many
of the rooms. In others there were tall obelisks of ebony, which bore
saucers for incense, which all the Egyptians loved, and which was
prescribed by their physicians to purify and perfume their dwellings.
Her simple bedroom would have suited a prince who loved floriculture,
quite as well as a princess.

Before all things Bent-Anat loved air and light. The curtains of
her windows and doors were only closed when the position of the sun
absolutely required it; while in Nefert's rooms, from morning till
evening, a dim twi