“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。