“Donotthankme。Indeedifyouarewiseyouwillrefuse。YouhavemetPambasa。Well，NehesiisPambasamultipliedbyten，arogue，athief，abully，andonewhohasPharaoh’sear。Hewillmakeyourlifeatormenttoyouandclipeveryringofgoldthatatlengthyouwringoutofhisgrip。Moreovertheplaceiswearisome，andIamfancifulandoftenill-humoured。Donotthankme，Isay。Refuse；returntoMemphisandwritestories。Shuncourtsandtheirplottings。Pharaohhimselfisbutafaceandapuppetthroughwhichothervoicestalkandothereyesshine，andthesceptrewhichhewieldsispulledbystrings。AndifthisissowithPharaoh，whatisthecasewithhisson？Thentherearethewomen，Ana。Theywillmakelovetoyou，Ana，theyevendosotome，andIthinkyoutoldmethatyouknowsomethingofwomen。Donotaccept，gobacktoMemphis。IwillsendyousomeoldmanuscriptstocopyandpayyouwhateveritisNehesiallowsforthelibrarian。“
　　“YetIaccept，OPrince。AsforNehesiIfearhimnotatall，sinceattheworstIcanwriteastoryabouthimatwhichtheworldwilllaugh，andratherthanthathewillpaymemysalary。“
　　“YouhavemorewisdomthanIthought，Ana。ItnevercameintomymindtoputNehesiinastory，thoughitistrueItelltalesabouthimwhichismuchthesamething。“
　　Hebendforward，leaninghisheaduponhishand，andceasingfromhisbanteringtone，lookedmeintheeyesandasked：
　　“Whydoyouaccept？Letmethinknow。Itisnotbecauseyoucareforwealthifthatistobewonhere；norforthepompandshowofcourts；
　　norforthecompanyofthegreatwhoreallyaresosmall。Forallthesethingsyou，Ana，havenocravingifIreadyourheartaright，youwhoareanartist，nothinglessandnothingmore。Tellme，then，whywillyou，afreemanwhocanearnyourliving，lingerroundathroneandsetyourneckbeneaththeheelofprincestobecrushedintothecommonmouldofservitorsandKing’sCompanionsandBearersoftheFootstool？“
　　“Iwilltellyou，Prince。First，becausethronesmakehistory，ashistorymakesthrones，andIthinkthatgreateventsareonfootinEgyptinwhichIwouldhavemyshare。Secondly，becausethegodsbringgiftstomenonlyonceortwiceintheirlivesandtorefusethemistooffendthegodswhogavethemthoselivestousetoendsofwhichweknownothing。Andthirdly“——hereIhesitated。
　　“Andthirdly——outwiththethirdlyfor，doubtless，itistherealreason。“
　　“Andthirdly，OPrince——well，thewordsoundsstrangelyuponaman’slips——butthirdlybecauseIloveyou。FromthemomentthatmyeyesfelluponyourfaceIlovedyouasIneverlovedanyotherman——notevenmyfather。Iknownotwhy。Certainlyitisnotbecauseyouareaprince。“
　　WhenheheardthesewordsSetisatbroodingandsosilentthat，fearinglestI，ahumblescribe，hadbeentoobold，Iaddedhastily：
　　“LetyourHighnesspardonhisservantforhispresumptuouswords。Itwashisservant’sheartthatspokeandnothislips。“
　　HeliftedhishandandIstopped。
　　“Ana，mytwininRa，“hesaid，“doyouknowthatIneverhadafriend？“
　　“Aprincewhohasnofriend!“
　　“Never，none。NowIbegintothinkthatIhavefoundone。Thethoughtisstrangeandwarmsme。DoyouknowalsothatwhenmyeyesfelluponyourfaceIlovedyoualso，thegodsknowwhy。ItwasasthoughIhadfoundonewhowasdeartomethousandsofyearsagobutwhomIhadlostandforgotten。Perhapsthisisbutfoolishness，orperhapsherewehavetheshadowofsomethinggreatandbeautifulwhichdwellselsewhere，intheplacewecalltheKingdomofOsiris，beyondthegrave，Ana。“
　　“Suchthoughtshavecometomeattimes，Prince。Imeanthatallweseeisshadow；thatweourselvesareshadowsandthattherealitieswhocastthemliveinadifferenthomewhichislitbysomespiritsunthatneversets。“
　　ThePrincenoddedhisheadandagainwassilentforawhile。Thenhetookhisbeautifulalabastercup，andpouringwineintoit，hedrankalittleandpassedthecuptome。
　　“Drinkalso，Ana，“hesaid，“andpledgemeasIpledgeyou，intokenthatbydecreeoftheCreatorwhomadetheheartsofmen，henceforwardourtwoheartsareasthesameheartthroughgoodandill，throughtriumphanddefeat，tilldeathtakesoneofus。Henceforward，Ana，unlessyoushowyourselfunworthy，Ihidenothoughtfromyou。“
　　FlushingwithjoyItookthecup，saying：
　　“Iaddtoyourwords，OPrince。Weareone，notforthislifealonebutforallthelivestobe。Death，OPrince，is，Ithink，butasinglestepinthepylonstairwhichleadsatlasttothatdizzyheightwhenceweseethefaceofGodandhearhisvoicetelluswhatandwhyweare。“
　　ThenIpledgedhim，anddrank，bowing，andhebowedbacktome。
　　“Whatshallwedowiththecup，Ana，thesacredcupthathasheldthisrichheart-wine？ShallIkeepit？No，itnolongerbelongstome。
　　ShallIgiveittoyou？No，itcanneverbeyoursalone。See，wewillbreakthepricelessthing。“
　　Seizingitbyitsstemwithallhisstrengthhestruckthecupuponthetable。Thenwhatseemedtobetomeamarvelhappened，forinsteadofshatteringasIthoughtitsurelywould，itsplitintwofromrimtofoot。Whetherthiswasbychance，orwhethertheartistwhofashioneditinsomebygonegenerationhadworkedthetwohalvesseparatelyandcunninglycementedthemtogether，tothishourIdonotknow。Atleastsoitbefell。
　　“Thisisfortunate，Ana，“saidthePrince，laughingalittleinhislightway。“NowtakeyouthehalfthatliesnearesttoyouandIwilltakemine。IfyoudiefirstIwilllaymyhalfuponyourbreast，andifIdiefirstyoushalldothesamebyme，orifthepriestsforbiditbecauseIamroyalandmaynotbeprofaned，castthethingintomytomb。Whatshouldwehavedonehadthealabastershatteredintofragments，Ana，andwhatomenshouldwehavereadinthem？“
　　“Whyask，OPrince，seeingthatithasbefallenotherwise？“
　　ThenItookmyhalf，laiditagainstmyforeheadandhiditinthebosomofmyrobe，andasIdid，sodidSeti。
　　SointhisstrangefashiontheroyalSetiandIsealedtheholycompactofourbrotherhood，asIthinknotforthefirsttimeorthelast。
　　Setirose，stretchingouthisarms。
　　“Thatisfinished，“hesaid，“aseverythingfinishes，andforonceI
　　amsorry。Nowwhatnext？Sleep，Isuppose，inwhichallends，orperhapsyouwouldsayallbegins。“
　　Ashespokethecurtainsattheendoftheroomweredrawnandbetweenthemappearedthechamberlain，Pambasa，holdinghisgold-tippedwandceremoniouslybeforehim。
　　“Whatisitnow，man？“askedSeti。“CanInotevensupinpeace？Stay，beforeyouanswertellme，dothingsendorbegininsleep？ThelearnedAnaandIdifferonthematterandwouldhearyourwisdom。
　　Bearinmind，Pambasa，thatbeforewearebornwemusthaveslept，sinceofthattimeweremembernothing，andafterwearedeadwecertainlyseemtosleep，asanywhohavelookedonmummiesknow。Nowanswer。“
　　Thechamberlainstaredatthewineflaskonthetableasthoughhesuspectedhismasterofhavingdrunktoomuch。Theninahardofficialvoicehesaid：
　　“Shecomes!Shecomes!Shecomes，offeringgreetingsandadorationtotheRoyalSonofRa。“
　　“Doessheindeed？“askedSeti。“Ifso，whysayitthreetimes？Andwhocomes？“
　　“ThehighPrincess，theheiressofEgypt，thedaughterofPharaoh，yourHighness’sroyalhalf-sister，thegreatladyUserti。“
　　“Letherenterthen。Ana，standyoubehindme。IfyougrowwearyandI
　　giveleaveyoucandepart；theslaveswillshowyouyoursleeping-
　　place。“
　　Pambasawent，andpresentlythroughthecurtainappearedaroyal-
　　lookingladysplendidlyapparelled。Shewasaccompaniedbyfourwaitingwomenwhofellbackonthethresholdandwerenomoreseen。
　　ThePrincesteppedforward，tookbothherhandsinhisandkissedheronthebrow，thendrewbackagain，afterwhichtheystoodamomentlookingateachother。WhiletheyremainedthusIstudiedherwhowasknownthroughoutthelandasthe“BeautifulRoyalDaughter，“butwhomtillnowIhadneverseen。IntruthIdidnotthinkherbeautiful，althoughevenhadshebeencladinapeasant’srobeIshouldhavebeensurethatshewasroyal。Herfacewastoohardforbeautyandherblackeyes，withatingeofgreyinthem，weretoosmall。Alsohernosewastoosharpandherlipsweretoothin。Indeed，haditnotbeenforthedelicatelyandfinely-shapedwoman’sformbeneath，Imighthavethoughtthataprinceandnotaprincessstoodbeforeme。Fortherestinmostwayssheresembledherhalf-brotherSeti，thoughhercountenancelackedthekindlinessofhis；orratherbothofthemresembledtheirfather，Meneptah。
　　“Greeting，Sister，“hesaid，eyeingherwithasmileinwhichIcaughtagleamofmockery。“Purple-borderedrobes，emeraldnecklaceandenamelledcrownofgold，ringsandpectoral，everythingexceptasceptre——whyareyousoroyallyarrayedtovisitonesohumbleasyourlovingbrother？Youcomelikesunlightintothedarknessofthehermit’scellanddazzlethepoorhermit，orratherhermits，“andhepointedtome。
　　“Ceaseyourjests，Seti，“sherepliedinafull，strongvoice。“Iweartheseornamentsbecausetheypleaseme。AlsoIhavesuppedwithourfather，andthosewhositatPharaoh’stablemustbesuitablyarrayed，thoughIhavenotedthatsometimesyouthinkotherwise。“