“Areyouthenlonely？“
　　“Howcanitbeotherwisewithanoutcast，Prince？“
　　“No，itcannotbeotherwise。Iknowitwhoamalsoanoutcast。“
　　“AtleastthereisherHighnessyourwife，whodoubtlesswillcometocomfortyou，“shesaid，lookingdown。
　　“HerHighnesswillnotcome。IfyouhadseenAna，hewouldperhapshavetoldyouthatshehasswornnottolookuponmyfaceagain，unlessaboveitshinesacrown。“
　　“Oh!howcanawomanbesocruel？Surely，Prince，suchastabmustcutyoutotheheart，“sheexclaimed，withalittlecryofpity。
　　“HerHighnessisnotonlyawoman；sheisaPrincessofEgyptwhichisdifferent。Fortherestitdoescutmetotheheartthatmyroyalsistershouldhavedesertedme，forthatwhichshelovesbetter——powerandpomp。Butsoitis，unlessAnadreams。Itseemsthereforethatweareinthesamecase，bothoutcasts，youandI，isitnotso？“
　　Shemadenoanswerbutcontinuedtolookupontheground，andhewentonveryslowly：
　　“AthoughtcomesintomymindonwhichIwouldaskyourjudgment。Iftwowhoareforlorncametogethertheywouldbelessforlornbyhalf，wouldtheynot？“
　　“Itwouldseemso，Prince——thatisiftheyremainedforlornatall。
　　ButIdonotunderstandtheriddle。“
　　“Yetyouhaveansweredit。IfyouarelonelyandIamlonelyapart，weshould，yousay，belesslonelytogether。“
　　“Prince，“shemurmured，shrinkingawayfromhim，“Ispokenosuchwords。“
　　“No，Ispokethemforyou。Hearkentome，Merapi。TheythinkmeastrangemaninEgyptbecauseIhaveheldnowomandear，neverhavingseenonewhomIcouldholddear。“Hereshelookedathimsearchingly，andhewenton，“Awhileago，beforeIvisitedyourlandofGoshen——
　　Anacantellyouaboutthematter，forIthinkhewroteitdown——KiandoldBakenkhonsucametoseeme。Now，asyouknow，Kiiswithoutdoubtagreatmagician，thoughitwouldseemnotsogreatassomeofyourprophets。HetoldmethatheandothershadbeensearchingoutmyfutureandthatinGoshenIshouldfindawomanwhomitwasfatedI
　　mustlove。Headdedthatthiswomanwouldbringmemuchjoy。“HereSetipaused，doubtlessrememberingthiswasnotallthatKihadsaid，orJabezeither。“Kitoldmealso，“hewentonslowly，“thatIhadalreadyknownthiswomanforthousandsofyears。“
　　Shestartedandastrangelookcameintoherface。
　　“Howcanthatbe，Prince？“
　　“ThatiswhatIaskedhimandgotnogoodanswer。Stillhesaidit，notonlyofthewomanbutofmyfriendAnaaswell，whichindeedwouldexplainmuch，anditwouldappearthattheothermagicianssaiditalso。ThenIwenttothelandofGoshenandthereIsawawoman-“
　　“Forthefirsttime，Prince？“
　　“No，forthethirdtime。“
　　Hereshesankuponthebenchandcoveredhereyeswithherhands。
　　“-andlovedher，andfeltasthoughIhadlovedherfor’thousandsofyears。’“
　　“Itisnottrue。Youmockme，itisnottrue!“shewhispered。
　　“ItistrueforifIdidnotknowitthen，Iknewitafterwards，thoughneverperhapscompletelyuntilto-day，whenIlearnedthatUsertihaddesertedmeindeed。MoonofIsrael，youarethatwoman。I
　　willnottellyou，“hewentonpassionately，“thatyouarefairerthanallotherwomen，orsweeter，ormorewise，thoughthesethingsyouseemtome。IwillonlytellyouthatIloveyou，yes，loveyou，whateveryoumaybe。IcannotofferyoutheThroneofEgypt，evenifthelawwouldsufferit，butIcanofferyouthethroneofthisheartofmine。Now，LadyMerapi，whathaveyoutosay？Beforeyouspeak，rememberthatalthoughyouseemtobemyprisonerhereatMemphis，youhavenaughttofearfromme。Whateveryoumayanswer，suchshelterandsuchfriendshipasIcangivewillbeyourswhileIlive，andnevershallIattempttoforcemyselfuponyou，howevermuchitmaypainmetopassyouby。Iknownotthefuture。ItmayhappenthatIshallgiveyougreatplaceandpower，itmayhappenthatIshallgiveyounothingbutpovertyandexile，orevenperhapsashareinmyowndeath，butwitheitherwillgotheworshipofmybodyandmyspirit。Now，speak。“
　　Shedroppedherhandsfromherface，lookingupathim，andthereweretearsshininginherbeautifuleyes。
　　“Itcannotbe，Prince，“shemurmured。
　　“Youmeanyoudonotwishittobe？“
　　“Isaidthatitcannotbe。SuchtiesbetweenanEgyptianandanIsraelitearenotlawful。“
　　“Someinthiscityandelsewhereseemtofindthemso。“
　　“AndIammarried，ImeanperhapsIammarried——atleastinname。“
　　“AndItooammarried，Imean-“
　　“Thatisdifferent。Alsothereisanotherreason，thegreatestofall，Iamunderacurse，andshouldbringyou，notjoyasKisaid，butsorrow，or，attheleast，sorrowwiththejoy。“
　　Helookedathersearchingly。
　　“HasAna-“hebegan，thencontinued，“ifsowhatliveshaveyouknownthatarenotcompoundedofmingledjoyandsorrow？“
　　“None。ButthewoeIshouldbringwouldoutweighthejoy——toyou。ThecurseofmyGodrestsuponmeandIcannotlearntoworshipyours。Thecurseofmypeoplerestsuponme，thelawofmypeopledividesmefromyouaswithasword，andshouldIdrawclosetoyouthesewillbeincreaseduponmyhead，whichmattersnot，butalsouponyours，“andshebegantosob。
　　“Tellme，“hesaid，takingherbythehand，“butonething，andiftheanswerisNo，Iwilltroubleyounomore。Isyourheartmine？“
　　“Itis，“shesighed，“andhasbeeneversincemyeyesfelluponyouyonderinthestreetsofTanis。Oh!thenachangecameintomeandI
　　hatedLaban，whombeforeIhadonlymisliked。Moreover，ItoofeltthatofwhichKispoke，asthoughIhadknownyouforthousandsofyears。Myheartisyours，myloveisyours；allthatmakesmewomanisyours，andnever，nevercanturnfromyoutoanyotherman。Butstillwemuststayapart，foryoursake，myPrince，foryoursake。“
　　“Then，wereitnotforme，youwouldbereadytorunthesehazards？“
　　“Surely!AmInotawomanwholoves？“
　　“Ifthatbeso，“hesaidwithalittlelaugh，“beingoffullageandofanunderstandingwhichsomehavethoughtgood，byyourleaveI
　　thinkIwillrunthemalso。Oh!foolishwoman，doyounotunderstandthatthereisbutonegoodthingintheworld，onethinginwhichselfanditsmiseriescanbeforgot，andthatthingislove？Mayhaptroubleswillcome。Well，letthemcome，forwhatdotheymatterifonlytheloveoritsmemoryremains，ifoncewehavepickedthatbeauteousflowerandforanhourwornitonourbreasts。Youtalkofthedifferencebetweenthegodsweworshipandmaybeitexists，butallgodssendtheirgiftsofloveupontheearth，withoutwhichitwouldceasetobe。Moreover，myfaithteachesmemoreclearlyperhapsthanyours，thatlifedoesnotendwithdeathandthereforethatlove，beinglife’ssoul，mustendurewhileitendures。Lastofall，Ithink，asyouthink，thatinsomedimwaythereistruthinwhatthemagicianssaid，andthatlongagointhepastwehavebeenwhatoncemoreweareabouttobe，andthatthestrengthofthisinvisibletiehasdrawnustogetheroutofthewholeworldandwillbindustogetherlongaftertheworldisdead。Itisnotamatterofwhatwewishtodo，Merapi，itisamatterofwhatFatehasdecreedweshalldo。Now，answeragain。“
　　Butshemadenoanswer，andwhenIlookedupafteralittlemomentshewasinhisarmsandherlipswereuponhislips。
　　ThusdidPrinceSetiofEnglandandMerapi，MoonofIsrael，cometogetheratMemphisinEgypt。
　　OnthemorrowofthisnightIfoundthePrincealoneforalittlewhile，andputhiminmindofcertainancientmanuscriptsthathewishedtoread，whichcouldonlybeconsultedatThebeswhereImightcopythem；alsoofothersthatweresaidtobeforsalethere。Heansweredthattheycouldwait，butIrepliedthatthelattermightfindsomeotherpurchaserifIdidnotgoatonce。
　　“Youareoverfondoflongjourneysuponmybusiness，Ana，“hesaid。
　　Thenheconsideredmecuriouslyforawhile，andsincehecouldreadmymind，asindeedIcouldhis，sawthatIknewall，andaddedinagentlevoice：
　　“YoushouldhavedoneasItoldyou，andspokenfirst。Ifso，whoknows-“
　　“Youdo，Prince，“Ianswered，“youandanother。“