“PerhapsitisbecauseIlovehimthatIwishtodie。IhavegivenhimallIhavetogive；thereisnothingleftofmypoortreasureexceptwhatwillbringtroubleandmisfortuneonhishead。Thereforethegreaterthelove——anditismoregreatthanallthosepyramidsmassedtoone——thegreatertheneedthatitshouldbeburiedforawhile。Doyouunderstand？“
　　Heshookhishead。
　　“Iunderstandonlythatyouareaverystrangewoman，differentfromanyotherthatIhaveknown。“
　　“Mychild，whowasslainwiththerest，wasalltheworldtome，andI
　　wouldbewhereheis。Doyouunderstandnow？“
　　“Youwouldleaveyourlife，inwhich，beingyoung，youmayhavemorechildren，tolieinatombwithyourdeadson？“heaskedslowly，likeoneastonished。
　　“IonlycareforlifewhileitcanservehimwhomIlove，andifadaycomeswhenhesitsuponthethronehowwilladaughterofthehatedIsraelitesservehimthen？AlsoIdonotwishformorechildren。
　　Livingordead，hethatisgoneownsallmyheart；thereisnoroominitforothers。Thatloveatleastispureandperfect，andhavingbeenembalmedbydeath，canneverchange。Moreover，itisnotinatombthatIshallliewithhim，orsoIbelieve。ThefaithoftheseEgyptianswhichwedespisetellsofalifeeternalintheheavens，andthitherIwouldgotoseekthatwhichislost，andtowaitthatwhichisleftbehindawhile。“
　　“Ah!“saidJabez。“FormypartIdonottroublemyselfwiththeseproblems，whofindinalifetemporalontheearthenoughtofillmythoughtsandhands。Yet，Merapi，youarearebel，andwhetherinheavenoronearth，howarerebelsreceivedbythekingagainstwhomtheyhaverebelled？“
　　“YousayIamrebel，“shesaid，turningonhimwithflashingeyes。
　　“Why？BecauseIwouldnotdishonourmyselfbymarryingamanIhate，onealsowhoisamurderer，andbecausewhileIliveIwillnotdesertamanwhomIlovetoreturntothosewhohavedonemenaughtbutevil。
　　DidGodthenmakewomentobesoldlikecattleofthefieldforthepleasureandtheprofitofhimwhocanpaythehighest？“
　　“Itseemsso，“saidJabez，spreadingouthishands。
　　“Itseemsthatyouthinkso，whofashionGodasyouwouldwishhimtobe，butformypartIdonotbelieveit，andifIdid，Ishouldseekanotherking。Myuncle，IappealfromthepriestandtheeldertoThatwhichmadeboththemandme，andbyItsjudgmentIwillstandorfall。“
　　“Alwaysaverydangerousthingtodo，“reflectedJabezaloud，“sincethepriestisapttotakethelawintohisownhandsbeforethecausecanbepleadedelsewhere。Still，whoamIthatIshouldsetupmyreasoningsagainstonewhocangrindAmontopowderinhisownsanctuary，andwhothereforemayhavewarrantforallshethinksanddoes？“
　　Merapistampedherfoot。
　　“YouknowwellitwasyouwhobroughtmethecommandtodarethegodAmoninhistemple。ItwasnotI-“shebegan。
　　“Idoknow，“repliedJabezwavinghishand。“Iknowalsothatiswhateverywizardsays，whateverhisnationorhisgods，andwhatnooneeverbelieves。Thusbecause，havingfaith，youobeyedthecommandandthroughyouAmonwassmitten，amongboththeIsraelitesandtheEgyptiansyouareheldtobethegreatestsorceressthathaslookedupontheNile，andthatisadangerousrepute，myniece。“
　　“OnetowhichIlaynoclaim，andneversought。“
　　“Justso，butwhichallthesamehascometoyou。Well，knowingaswithoutdoubtyoudoallthatwillsoonbefallinEgypt，andhavingbeenwarned，ifyouneededwarning，ofthedangerwithwhichyouyourselfarethreatened，youstillrefusetoobeythissecondcommandwhichitismydutytodelivertoyou？“
　　“Irefuse。“
　　“Thenonyourownheadbeit，andfarewell。Oh!Iwouldaddthatthereisacertainpropertyincattle，andthefruitoflandswhichdescendstoyoufromyourfather。Intheeventofyourdeath-“
　　“Takeitall，uncle，andmayitprosperyou。Farewell。“
　　“Agreatwoman，friendAna，andabeautiful，“saidtheoldHebrew，afterhehadwatchedhergo。“IgrievethatIshallneverseeheragain，and，indeed，thatnoonewillseeherforverylong；for，remember，sheismynieceofwhomIamfond。NowItoomustbegoing，havingcompletedmyerrand。Allgoodfortunetoyou，Ana。Youarenolongerasoldier，areyou？No？Believeme，itisaswell，asyouwilllearn。MyhomagetothePrince。Thinkofmeattimes，whenyougrowold，andnotunkindly，seeingthatIhaveservedyouasbestIcould，andyourmasteralso，whoIhopewillsoonfindagainthatwhichhelostawhileago。“
　　“HerHighness，PrincessUserti，“Isuggested。
　　“ThePrincessUsertiamongotherthings，Ana。TellthePrince，ifheshoulddeemthemcostly，thatthosehorseswhichIsoldhimarereallyofthefinestSyrianblood，andofastrainthatmyfamilyhasownedforgenerations。Ifyoushouldchancetohaveanyfriendwhosewelfareyoudesire，lethimnotgointothedesertsoldieringduringthenextfewmoons，especiallyifPharaohbeincommand。Nay，Iknownothing，butitisaseasonofgreatstorm。Farewell，friendAna，andagainfarewell。“
　　“Nowwhatdidhemeanbythat？“thoughtItomyself，asIdepartedtomakemyreporttoSeti。Butnoanswertothequestionroseinmymind。
　　VerysoonIbegantounderstand。ItappearedthatatlengththeIsraeliteswereleavingEgypt，avasthordeofthem，andwiththemtensofthousandsofArabsofvarioustribeswhoworshippedtheirgodandwere，someofthem，descendedfromthepeopleoftheHyksos，theshepherdswhoonceruledinEgypt。ThatthiswastruewasprovedtousbythetidingswhichreachedusthatalltheHebrewwomenwhodweltinMemphis，eventhoseofthemwhoweremarriedtoEgyptians，haddepartedfromthecity，leavingbehindthemtheirmenandsometimestheirchildren。Indeed，beforethesewent，certainofthemwhohadbeenfriendsvisitedMerapi，andaskedherifshewerenotcomingalso。Sheshookherheadasshereplied：
　　“Whydoyougo？Areyousofondofjourneyingsinthedesertthatforthesakeofthemyouarereadyneveragaintolookuponthemenyouloveandthechildrenofyourbodies？“
　　“No，Lady，“theyanswered，weeping。“Wearehappyhereinwhite-walledMemphisandhere，listeningtothemurmuroftheNile，wewouldgrowoldanddie，ratherthanstrivetokeephouseinsomedeserttentwithastrangeroralone。Yetfeardrivesushence。“
　　“Fearofwhat？“
　　“OftheEgyptianswho，whentheycometounderstandallthattheyhavesufferedatourhandsinreturnforthewealthandshelterwhichtheyhavegivenusformanygenerations，wherebywehavegrownfromahandfulintoagreatpeople，willcertainlykillanyIsraelitewhomtheyfindleftamongthem。Alsowefearthecursesofourpriestswhobidustodepart。“
　　“Then/I/shouldfearthesethingsalso，“saidMerapi。
　　“Notso，Lady，seeingthatbeingtheonlybelovedofthePrinceofEgyptwho，rumourtellsus，willsoonbePharaohofEgypt，byhimyouwillbeprotectedfromtheangeroftheEgyptians。Andbeing，asweallknowwell，thegreatestsorceressintheworld，theoverthrowerofAmon-Rathemighty，andonewhobysacrificingherchildwasabletowardawayeveryplaguefromthehouseholdwhereshedwelt，youhavenaughttofearfrompriestsandtheirmagic。“
　　ThenMerapisprangup，biddingthemtoleavehertoherfateandtobegonetotheirown，whichtheydidhastilyenough，fearinglestsheshouldcastsomespelluponthem。SoitcameaboutthatpresentlythefairMoonofIsraelandcertainchildrenofmixedbloodwerealloftheHebrewracethatwereleftinEgypt。Then，notwithstandingthemiseriesandmisfortunesthatduringthepastfewyearsbyterror，death，andfaminehadreducedthemtoperhapsonehalfoftheirnumber，thepeopleofEgyptrejoicedwithagreatjoy。
　　Ineverytempleofeverygodprocessionswereheldandofferingsmadebythosewhohadanythinglefttooffer，whilethestatuesofthegodsweredressedinfinenewgarmentsandhungaboutwithgarlandingsofflowers。Moreover，ontheNileandonthesacredlakesboatsfloatedtoandfro，adornedwithlanternsasatthefeastoftheRisingofOsiris。Astitularhigh-priestofAmon，anofficeofwhichhecouldnotbedeprivedwhilehelived，PrinceSetiattendedthesedemonstrations，whichindeedhemustdo，inthegreattempleofMemphis，whitherIaccompaniedhim。Whentheceremonieswereoverheledtheprocessionthroughthemassesoftheworshippers，cladinhissplendidsacerdotalrobes，whereoneverythroatofthethousandspresenttheregreetedhiminashoutofthunderas“Pharaoh!“oratleastasPharaoh’sheir。
　　Whenatlengththeshoutingdied，heturneduponthemandsaid：
　　“Friends，ifyouwouldsendmetobeofthecompanythatsitsatthetableofOsirisandnotatPharaoh’sfeasts，youwillrepeatthisfoolishgreeting，whereofourLordAmenmeseswillhearwithlittlejoy。“
　　Inthesilencethatfollowedavoicecalledout：
　　“Havenofear，OPrince，whiletheHebrewwitchsleepsnightbynightuponyourbosom。ShewhocouldsmiteEgyptwithsomanyplaguescancertainlyshelteryoufromharm；“whereontheroarsofacclamationwentupagain。
　　ItwasonthefollowingdaythatBakenkhonsutheagedreturnedwithmoretidingsfromTanis，wherehehadbeenuponavisit。Itseemedthatagreatcouncilhadbeenheldthereinthelargesthallofoneofthelargesttemples。Atthiscouncil，whichwasopentoallthepeople，AmenmeseshadgivenreportonthematteroftheIsraeliteswho，hestated，weredepartingintheirthousands。AlsoofferingsweremadetoappeasetheangrygodsofEgypt。Whentheceremonywasfinished，butbeforethecompanybrokeupinaheavymood，herHighnessthePrincessUsertiroseinherplace，andaddressedPharaoh：
　　“Bythespiritsofourfathers，“shecried，“andmoreespeciallybythatofthegoodgodMeneptah，mybegetter，Iaskofyou，Pharaoh，andIaskofyou，Opeople，whethertheaffrontthathasbeenputuponusbytheseHebrewslavesandtheirmagiciansisonethattheproudlandofEgyptshouldbecalledupontobear？Ourgodshavebeensmittenanddefied；woesgreatandterrible，suchashistorytellsnotof，havefallenuponusthroughmagic；tensofthousands，fromthefirst-bornchildofPharaohdown，haveperishedinasinglenight。AndnowtheseHebrews，whohavemurderedthembysorcery，fortheyaresorcerersall，menandwomentogether，especiallyoneofthemwhositsatMemphis，ofwhomIwillnotspeakbecauseshehaswroughtmeprivateharm，bythedecreeofPharaoharetobesufferedtoleavetheland。
　　More，theyaretotakewiththemalltheircattle，alltheirthreshedcorn，allthetreasuretheyhavehoardedforgenerations，andalltheornamentsofpriceandwealththattheyhavewrungbyterrorfromourownpeople，borrowingthatwhichtheyneverpurposetoreturn。