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“PrinceofEgypt，“sherepliedconfusedly，“Ididbutlittle。TheplotcametomyearsthroughJabezmyuncle，andIfledawayand，knowingtheshortpathsfromchildhood，wasjustintime。HadIstayedtothinkperchanceIshouldnothavedared。“
“Andwhatoftherest，Lady？WhatoftheHebrewwhowaschokingmeandofacertainswordthrustthatloosedhishandsforever？“
“Ofthat，yourHighness，Icanrecallnothing，orverylittle，“then，doubtlessrememberingwhatshehadjustsaidtome，shemadeobeisanceandpassedfromthechamber。
“Shecantellfalsehoodsassweetlyasshedoesallelse，“saidSeti，whenhehadwatchedhergo。“Oh!whatawomanhavewehere，Ana。
Perfectinbeauty，perfectincourage，perfectinmind。Whereareherfaults，Iwonder？Letitbeyourparttosearchthemout，sinceIfindnone。“
“AskthemofKi，OPrince。Heisaverygreatmagician，sogreatthatperhapshisartmayevenavailtodiscoverwhatawomanseekstohide。
AlsoyoumayrememberthathegaveyoucertainwarningsbeforewejourneyedtoGoshen。“
“Yes——hetoldmethatmylifewouldbeindanger，ascertainlyitwas。
Therehewasright。HetoldmealsothatIshouldseeawomanwhomI
shouldcometolove。Therehewaswrong。Ihaveseennosuchwoman。
Oh!Iknowwellwhatispassinginyourmind。BecauseIholdtheladyMerapitobebeautifulandbrave，youthinkthatIloveher。Butitisnotso。Ilovenowoman，except，ofcourse，herHighness。Ana，youjudgemebyyourself。“
“Kisaid’cometolove，’Prince。Thereisyettime。“
“Notso，Ana。Ifoneloves，onelovesatonce。SoonIshallbeoldandshewillbefatandugly，andhowcanonelovethen？Getwellquickly，Ana，forIwishyoutohelpmewithmyreporttoPharaoh。IshalltellhimthatIthinktheseIsraelitesaremuchoppressedandthatheshouldmakethemamendsandletthemgo。“
“WhatwillPharaohsaytothataftertheyhavejusttriedtokillhisheir？“
“IthinkPharaohwillbeangry，andsowillthepeopleofEgypt，whodonotreasonwell。Hewillnotseethat，believingwhattheydo，Labanandhisbandwererighttotrytokillmewho，howeverunwittingly，desecratedthesanctuaryoftheirgod。HadtheydoneotherwisetheywouldhavebeennogoodHebrews，andformypartI
cannotbearthemmalice。YetallEgyptisafireaboutthisbusinessandcriesoutthattheIsraelitesshouldbedestroyed。“
“Itseemstome，Prince，thatwhatevermaybethecasewithKi’ssecondprophecy，histhirdisinthewayoffulfilment——namelythatthisjourneytoGoshenmaycauseyoutoriskyourthrone。“
Heshruggedhisshouldersandanswered：
“Notevenforthat，Ana，willIsaytoPharaohwhatisnotinmymind。
Butletthatmatterbetillyouarestronger。“
“Whatchancedattheendofthefight，Prince，andhowcameIhere？“
“TheguardkilledmostoftheHebrewswhoremainedalive。Somefewfledandescapedinthedarkness，amongthemLabantheirleader，althoughyouhadwoundedhim，andsixweretakenalive。Theyawaittheirtrial。Iwasbutlittlehurtandyou，whomwethoughtdead，werebutsenseless，andsenselessorwanderingyouhaveremainedtillthishour。Wecarriedyouinalitter，andhereyouhavebeenthesethreedays。“
“AndtheladyMerapi？“
“Wesetherinachariotandbroughthertothecity，sincehadwelefthershewouldcertainlyhavebeenmurderedbyherpeople。WhenPharaohheardwhatshehaddone，asIdidnotthinkitwellthatsheshoulddwellhere，hegaveherthesmallhouseinthisgardenthatshemightbeguarded，andwithitslavewomentoattenduponher。Sothereshedwells，havingthefreedomofthepalace，andallthewhilehasfilledtheofficeofyournurse。“
AtthismomentIgrewfaintandshutmyeyes。WhenIopenedthemagain，thePrincehadgone。SixmoredayswentbybeforeIwasallowedtoleavemybed，andduringthistimeIsawmuchofMerapi。ShewasverysadandlivedinfearofbeingkilledbytheHebrews。Alsoshewastroubledinherheartbecauseshethoughtshehadbetrayedherfaithandpeople。
“AtleastyouareridofLaban，“Isaid。
“NevershallIberidofhimwhilewebothlive，“sheanswered。“I
belongtohimandhewillnotloosemybond，becausehisheartissetonme。“
“Andisyourheartsetonhim？“Iasked。
Herbeautifuleyesfilledwithtears。
“Awomanmaynothaveaheart。Oh!Ana，Iamunhappy，“sheanswered，andwentaway。
AlsoIsawothers。ThePrincesscametovisitme。ShethankedmemuchbecauseIhadfulfilledmypromisetoherandguardedthePrince。
MoreovershebroughtmeagiftofgoldfromPharaoh，andothergiftsoffineraimentfromherself。ShequestionedmecloselyaboutMerapi，ofwhomIcouldseeshewasalreadyjealous，andwasgladwhenshelearnedthatshewasaffiancedtoaHebrew。OldBakenkhonsucametoo，andaskedmemanythingsaboutthePrince，theHebrewsandMerapi，especiallyMerapi，ofwhosedeeds，hesaid，allEgyptwastalking，questionsthatIansweredasbestIcould。
“HerewehavethatwomanofwhomKitoldus，“hesaid，“shewhoshallbringsomuchjoyandsomuchsorrowtothePrinceofEgypt。“
“Whyso？“Iasked。“Hehasnottakenherintohishouse，nordoI
thinkthathemeanstodoso。“
“Yethewill，Ana，whetherhemeansitornot。Forhissakeshebetrayedherpeople，whichamongtheIsraelitesisadeadlycrime。
Twiceshesavedhislife，oncebywarninghimoftheambush，andagainbystabbingwithherownhandsoneofherkinsmenwhowasmurderinghim。Isitnotso？Tellme；youwerethere。“
“Itisso，butwhatthen？“
“This：thatwhatevershemaysay，sheloveshim；unlessindeed，itisyouwhomsheloves，“andhelookedatmeshrewdly。
“Whenawomanhasaprince，andsuchaprincetoherhand，wouldshetroubleherselftosetsnarestocatchascribe？“Iasked，withsomebitterness。
“Oho!“hesaid，withoneofhisgreatlaughs，“sothingsstandthus，dothey？Well，Ithoughtit，but，friendAna，bewarnedintime。DonottrytoconjuredowntheMoontobeyourhouseholdlamplestsheshouldset，andtheSun，herlord，shouldgrowwrothandburnyouup。
Well，sheloveshim，andthereforesoonorlateshewillmakehimloveher，beingwhatsheis。“
“How，Bakenkhonsu？“
“Withmostmen，Ana，itwouldbesimple。Asigh，somehalf-hiddentearsattherightmoment，andthethingisdone，asIhaveknownitdoneathousandtimes。Butthisprincebeingwhatheis，itmaybeotherwise。Shemayshowhimthathernameisgonefromhim；thatbecauseofhimsheishatedbyherpeople，andrejectedbyhergod，andthusstirhispity，whichisLove’sownsister。Ormayhap，beingalso，asIamtold，wise，shewillgivehimcounselastoallthesemattersoftheIsraelites，andthuscreepintohisheartundertheguiseoffriendship，andthenhersweetnessandherbeautywilldotherestinNature’sway。Atleastbythisroadorbythat，upstreamordownstream，thithershewillcome。“
“Ifso，whatofit？ItisthecustomofthekingsofEgypttohavemorewivesthanone。“
“This，Ana；Seti，Ithink，isamanwhointruthwillhavebutone，andthatonewillbethisHebrew。Yes，aHebrewwomanwillruleEgypt，andturnhimtotheworshipofhergod，forneverwillsheworshipours。Indeed，whentheyseethatsheislosttothem，herpeoplewilluseherthus。Orperchancehergodhimselfwillusehertofulfilhispurpose，asalreadyhemayhaveusedher。“
“Andafterwards，Bakenkhonsu？“
“Afterwards——whoknows？Iamnotamagician，atleastnotoneofanyaccount，askitofKi。ButIamvery，veryoldandIhavewatchedtheworld，andItellyouthatthesethingswillhappen，unless-“andhepaused。
“Unlesswhat？“
Hedroppedhisvoice。
“UnlessUsertiisbolderthanIthink，andkillsherfirstor，betterstill，procuressomeHebrewtokillher——say，thatcast-offloverofhers。IfyouwouldbeafriendtoPharaohandtoEgypt，youmightwhisperitinherear，Ana。“
“Never!“Iansweredangrily。
“Ididnotthinkyouwould，Ana，whoalsostruggleinthisnetofmoonbeamsthatisstrongerandmorerealthananytwistedoutofpalmorflax。Well，norwillI，whoinmyagelovetowatchsuchhumansportand，beingsoneartothem，feartothwarttheschemesofgods。
Letthisscrollunrollitselfasitwill，andwhenitisopen，readit，Ana，andrememberwhatIsaidtoyouthisday。Itwillbeaprettytale，writtenattheendwithbloodforink。Oho!O-ho-ho!“and，laughing，hehobbledfromtheroom，leavingmefrightened。
