“Ifhehadnot，Lady，Ithinktherewouldhavebeennoneofuslefttotrick，seeingthatthepeoplewerecrazedwiththedreadofthedarknessandbelievedthatitcouldbeliftedbyyoualone，asindeedhappened，“Iaddedsomewhatdoubtfully。
　　“MoreofKi’stricks!Oh!doyounotunderstandthattheliftingofthedarknessatthatmomentwasKi’swork，becausehewishedthepeopletobelievethatIamindeedasorceress。“
　　“Why？“Iasked。
　　“Idonotknow。Perhapsthatonedayhemayfindavictimtobindtothealtarinhisplace。AtleastIknowwellthatitisIwhomustpaytheprice，Iandmyfleshandblood，whateverKimaypromise，“andshelookedatthesleepingchild。
　　“Donotbeafraid，Lady，“Isaid。“Kihasleftthepalaceandyouwillseehimnomore。“
　　“Yes，becausethePrincewasangrywithhimaboutthetrickinthetempleofIsis。Thereforesuddenlyhewent，orpretendedtogo，forhowcanonetellwheresuchamanmayreallybe？Buthewillcomebackagain。Bethinkyou，KiwasthegreatestmagicianinEgypt；evenoldBakenkhonsucanremembernoneliketohim。Thenhematcheshimselfagainsttheprophetsofmypeopleandfails。“
　　“Butdidhefail，Lady？Whattheydidhedid，sendingamongtheIsraelitestheplaguesthatyourprophetshadsentamongus。“
　　“Yes，someofthem，buthewasoutpaced，orfearedtobeoutpacedatlast。IsKiamantoforgetthat？AndifKichancesreallytobelievethatIamhisadversaryandhismasteratthisblackwork，asbecauseofwhathappenedinthetempleofAmonthousandsbelieveto-day，willhenotmetememyownmeasuresoonorlate？Oh!IfearKi，Ana，andI
　　fearthepeopleofEgypt，andwereitnotformylordbeloved，Iwouldfleeawayintothewildernesswithmyson，andgetmeoutofthishauntedland!Hush!hewakes。“
　　FromthistimeforwarduntiltheswordfelltherewasgreatdreadinEgypt。Noneseemedtoknowexactlywhattheydreaded，butallthoughtthatithadtodowithdeath。Peoplewentaboutmournfullylookingovertheirshouldersasthoughsomeonewerefollowingthem，andatnighttheygatheredtogetherinknotsandtalkedinwhispers。OnlytheHebrewsseemedtobegladandhappy。Moreover，theyweremakingpreparationsforsomethingnewandstrange。ThusthoseIsraelitishwomenwhodweltinMemphisbegantosellwhatpropertytheyhadandtoborrowoftheEgyptians。Especiallydidtheyaskfortheloanofjewels，sayingthattheywereabouttocelebrateafeastandwishedtolookfineintheeyesoftheircountrymen。Nonerefusedthemwhattheyaskedbecauseallwereafraidofthem。TheyevencametothepalaceandbeggedherornamentsfromMerapi，althoughshewasacountrywomanoftheirownwhohadshowedthemmuchkindness。Yes，andseeingthathersonworealittlegoldcircletonhishair，oneofthembeggedthatalso，nordidshesayhernay。But，asitchanced，thePrinceentered，andseeingthewomanwiththisroyalbadgeinherhand，grewveryangryandforcedhertorestoreit。
　　“Whatistheuseofcrownswithoutheadstowearthem？“shesneered，andfledawaylaughing，withallthatshehadgathered。
　　AftershehadheardthatsayingMerapigrewevensadderandmoredistraughtthanshewasbefore，andfromherthetroublecrepttoSeti。Hetoobecamesadandillatease，thoughwhenIaskedhimwhyhevowedhedidnotknow，butsupposeditwasbecausesomenewplaguedrewnear。
　　“Yet，“headded，“asIhavemadeshifttolivethroughnineofthem，I
　　donotknowwhyIshouldfearatenth。“
　　Stillhedidfearit，somuchthatheconsultedBakenkhonsuastowhethertherewereanymeansbywhichtheangerofthegodscouldbeaverted。
　　Bakenkhonsulaughedandsaidhethoughtnot，sincealwaysifthegodswerenotangryaboutonethingtheywereangryaboutanother。Havingmadetheworldtheydidnothingbutquarrelwithit，orwithothergodswhohadahandinitsfashioning，andofthesequarrelsmenwerethevictims。
　　“Bearyourwoes，Prince，“headded，“ifanycome，foreretheNilehasrisenanotherfiftytimesatmost，whethertheyhaveorhavenotbeen，willbethesametoyou。“
　　“Thenyouthinkthatwhenwegowestwedieindeed，andthatOsirisisbutanothernameforthesunset，Bakenkhonsu。“
　　TheoldCouncillorshookhisgreathead，andanswered：
　　“No。Ifeveryoushouldloseonewhomyougreatlylove，takecomfort，Prince，forIdonotthinkthatlifeendswithdeath。Deathisthenursethatputsittosleep，nomore，andinthemorningitwillwakeagaintotravelthroughanotherdaywiththosewhohavecompanioneditfromthebeginning。“
　　“Wheredoallthedaysleadittoatlast，Bakenkhonsu？“
　　“AskthatofKi；Idonotknow。“
　　“ToSetwithKi，Iamangeredwithhim，“saidthePrince，andwentaway。
　　“Notwithoutreason，Ithink，“musedBakenkhonsu，butwhenIaskedhimwhathemeant，hewouldnotorcouldnottellme。
　　Sothegloomdeepenedandthepalace，whichhadbeenmerryinitsway，becamesad。Noneknewwhatwascoming，butallknewthatsomethingwascomingandstretchedouttheirhandstostrivetoprotectthatwhichtheylovedbestfromthestrokeofthewarringgods。InthecaseofSetiandMerapithiswastheirson，nowabeautifullittleladwhocouldrunandprattle，onetooofastrangehealthandvigourforachildoftheinbredraceoftheRamessids。Neverforaminutewasthisboyallowedtobeoutofthesightofoneorotherofhisparents；
　　indeedIsawlittleofSetiinthosedaysandallourlearnedstudiescametonothing，becausehewaseverconcernedwithMerapiinplayingnursetothissonofhis。
　　WhenUsertiwastoldofit，shesaidinthehearingofafriendofmine：
　　“WithoutadoubtthatisbecausehetrainshisbastardtofillthethroneofEgypt。“
　　But，alas!allthatthelittleSetiwasdoomedtofillwasacoffin。
　　Itwasastill，hotevening，sohotthatMerapihadbidthenursebringthechild’sbedandsetitbetweentwopillarsofthegreatportico。Thereonthebedheslept，lovelyasHorusthedivine。Shesatbyhissideinachairthathadfeetshapedliketothoseofanantelope。Setiwalkedupanddowntheterracebeyondtheporticoleaningonmyshoulder，andtalkingbysnatchesofthisorthat。
　　OccasionallyashepassedhewouldstayforawhiletomakesurebythebrightmoonlightthatallwaswellwithMerapiandthechild，asoflateithadbecomeahabitwithhimtodo。Thenwithoutspeaking，forfearlestheshouldawaketheboy，hewouldsmileatMerapi，whosattherebrooding，herheadrestingonherhand，andpasson。
　　Thenightwasverystill。Thepalmleavesdidnotrustle，nojackalswerestirring，andeventheshrill-voicedinsectshadceasedtheircries。Moreover，thegreatcitybelowwasquietasahomeofthedead。
　　Itwasasthoughthepresageofsomeadvancingdoomscaredtheworldtosilence。Forwithoutdoubtdoomwasintheair。Allfeltitdowntothenursewoman，whocoweredcloseasshedaredtothechairofhermistress，andeveninthatheatshiveredfromtimetotime。
　　PresentlylittleSetiawoke，andbegantoprattleaboutsomethinghehaddreamed。
　　“Whatdidyoudream，myson？“askedhisfather。
　　“Idreamed，“heansweredinhisbabytalk，“thatawoman，dressedasMotherwasinthetemple，tookmebythehandandledmeintotheair。
　　Ilookeddown，andsawyouandMotherwithwhitefacesandcrying。I
　　begantocrytoo，butthewomanwiththefeathercaptoldmenotasshewastakingmetoabeautifulbigstarwhereMotherwouldsooncometofindme。“
　　ThePrinceandIlookedateachotherandMerapifeignedtobusyherselfwithhushingthechildtosleepagain。Itdrewtowardsmidnightandstillnooneseemedmindedtogotorest。OldBakenkhonsuappearedandbegantosaysomethingaboutthenightbeingverystrangeandunrestful，when，suddenly，alittlebatthatwasflittingtoandfroaboveusfelluponhisheadandthencetotheground。Welookedatit，andsawthatitwasdead。
　　“Strangethatthecreatureshouldhavediedthus，“saidBakenkhonsu，when，behold!anotherfelltothegroundnearby。TheblackkittenwhichbelongedtoLittleSetisawitfallanddartedfrombesidehisbedwhereitwassleeping。Beforeeveritreachedthebat，thecreaturewheeledround，stooduponitshindlegs，scratchingattheairaboutit，thenutteredonepitifulcryandfelloverdead。
　　Westaredatit，whensuddenlyfarawayadoghowledinaverypiercingfashion。Thenacowbegantobaleasthesebeastsdowhentheyhavelosttheircalves。Next，quitecloseathandbutwithoutthegates，therearosetheear-curdlingcryofawomaninagony，whichontheinstantseemedtobeechoedfromeveryquarter，tilltheairwasfullofwailing。
　　“Oh，Seti!Seti!“exclaimedMerapi，inavoicethatwasratherahissthanawhisper，“lookatyourson!“
　　Wesprangtowherethebabelay，andlooked。Hehadawakenedandwasstaringupwardwithwide-openedeyesandfrozenface。Thefear，ifsuchitwere，passedfromhisfeatures，thoughstillhestared。Herosetohislittlefeet，alwayslookingupwards。Thenasmilecameuponhisface，amostbeautifulsmile；hestretchedouthisarms，asthoughtoclasponewhobentdowntowardshim，andfellbackwards——
　　quitedead。
　　Setistoodstillasastatue；weallstoodstill，evenMerapi。Thenshebenddown，andliftedthebodyoftheboy。
　　“Now，mylord，“shesaid，“therehasfallenonyouthatsorrowwhichJabezmyunclewarnedyouwouldcome，ifeveryouhadaughttodowithme。NowthecurseofIsraelhaspiercedmyheart，andnowourchild，asKitheevilprophesied，hasgrowntoogreatforgreetings，orevenforfarewells。“