“Indeed。Itrustthatthegoodgod，ourdivineparent，iswellto-nightasyouleavehimsoearly。“
　　“Ileavehimbecausehesentmewithamessagetoyou。“Shepaused，lookingatmesharply，thenasked，“Whoisthatman？Idonotknowhim。“
　　“Itisyourmisfortune，Userti，butonewhichcanbemended。HeisnamedAnatheScribe，whowritesstrangestoriesofgreatinterestwhichyouwoulddowelltoreadwhodwelltoomuchupontheoutsideoflife。HeisfromMemphisandhisfather’snamewas——Iforgetwhat。
　　Ana，whatwasyourfather’sname？“
　　“Onetoohumbleforroyalears，Prince，“Ianswered，“butmygrandfatherwasPentaurthepoetwhowroteofthedeedsofthemightyRameses。“
　　“Isitso？Whydidyounottellmethatbefore？ThedescentshouldearnyouapensionfromtheCourtifyoucanextractitfromNehesi。
　　Well，Userti，hisgrandfather’snamewasPentaurwhoseimmortalversesyouhavedoubtlessreadupontemplewalls，whereourgrandfatherwascarefultopublishthem。“
　　“Ihave——tomysorrow——andthoughtthempoor，boastfulstuff，“sheansweredcoldly。
　　“Tobehonest，ifAnawillforgiveme，sodoI。Icanassureyouthathisstoriesareagreatimprovementonthem。FriendAna，thisismysister，Userti，myfather’sdaughterthoughourmotherswerenotthesame。“
　　“Iprayyou，Seti，tobesogoodastogivememyrightfultitlesinspeakingofmetoscribesandotherofyourservants。“
　　“Yourpardon，Userti。This，Ana，isthefirstLadyofEgypt，theRoyalHeiress，thePrincessoftheTwoLands，theHigh-priestessofAmon，theCherishedoftheGods，thehalf-sisteroftheHeir-apparent，theDaughterofHathor，theLotusBloomofLove，theQueentobeof——
　　Userti，whosequeenwillyoube？Haveyoumadeupyourmind？FormyselfIknownooneworthyofsomuchbeauty，excellence，learningand——whatshallIadd——sweetness，yes，sweetness。“
　　“Seti，“shesaidstampingherfoot，“ifitpleasesyoutomakeamockofmebeforeastranger，IsupposethatImustsubmit。Sendhimaway，Iwouldspeakwithyou。“
　　“Makeamockofyou!Oh!mineisahardfate。Whentruthgushesfromthewellofmyheart，IamtoldImock，andwhenImock，allsay——hespeakstruth。Beseated，Sister，andtalkonfreely。ThisAnaismyswornfriendwhosavedmylifebutnow，forwhichdeedperhapsheshouldbemyenemy。Hismemoryisexcellentalsoandhewillrememberwhatyousayandwriteitdownafterwards，whereasImightforget。
　　Therefore，withyourleave，Iwillaskhimtostayhere。“
　　“MyPrince，“Ibrokein，“Iprayyousuffermetogo。“
　　“MySecretary，“heansweredwithanoteofcommandinhisvoice，“I
　　prayyoutoremainwhereyouare。“
　　SoIsatmyselfonthegroundafterthefashionofascribe，havingnochoice，andthePrincesssatherselfonacouchattheendofthetable，butSetiremainedstanding。ThenthePrincesssaid：
　　“Sinceitisyourwill，Brother，thatIshouldtalksecretsintootherearsthanyours，Iobeyyou。Still“——hereshelookedatmewrathfully——“letthetonguebecarefulthatitdoesnotrepeatwhattheearshaveheard，lestthereshouldbeneitherearsnortongue。MyBrother，ithasbeenreportedtoPharaoh，whileweatetogether，thatthereistumultinthistown。IthasbeenreportedtohimthatbecauseofatroubleaboutsomebaseIsraeliteyoucausedoneofhisofficerstobebeheaded，afterwhichtherecameariotwhichstillrages。“
　　“StrangethattruthshouldhavecometotheearsofPharaohsoquickly。Now，mySister，ifhehadhearditthreemoonshenceIcouldhavebelievedyou——almost。“
　　“Thenyoudidbeheadtheofficer？“
　　“Yes，Ibeheadedhimabouttwohoursago。“
　　“Pharaohwilldemandanaccountofthematter。“
　　“Pharaoh，“answeredSetiliftinghiseyes，“hasnopowertoquestionthejusticeoftheGovernorofTanisinthenorth。“
　　“Youareinerror，Seti。Pharaohhasallpower。“
　　“Nay，Sister，Pharaohisbutonemanamongmillionsofothermen，andthoughhespeaksitistheirspiritwhichbendshistongue，whileabovethatspiritisagreatgreaterspiritwhodecreeswhattheyshallthinktoendsofwhichweknownothing。“
　　“Idonotunderstand，Seti。“
　　“Ineverthoughtyouwould，Userti，butwhenyouhaveleisure，askAnaheretoexplainthemattertoyou。Iamsurethat/he/understands。“
　　“Oh!Ihaveborneenough，“exclaimedUsertirising。“HearkentothecommandofPharaoh，PrinceSeti。Itisthatyouwaituponhimto-morrowinfullcouncil，atanhourbeforenoon，theretotalkwithhimofthisquestionoftheIsraelitishslavesandtheofficerwhomithaspleasedyoutokill。Icametospeakotherwordstoyoualso，butastheywereforyourprivateear，thesecanbideamorefittingopportunity。Farewell，myBrother。“
　　“What，areyougoingsosoon，Sister？IwishedtotellyouthestoryaboutthoseIsraelites，andespeciallyofthemaidwhosenameis——whatwashername，Ana？“
　　“Merapi，MoonofIsrael，Prince，“Iaddedwithagroan。
　　“AboutthemaidcalledMerapi，MoonofIsrael，IthinkthesweetestthateverIhavelookedupon，whosefatherthedeadcaptainmurderedinmysight。“
　　“Sothereisawomaninthebusiness？Well，Iguessedit。“
　　“Inwhatbusinessistherenotawoman，Userti，eveninthatofamessagefromPharaoh。Pambasa，Pambasa，escortthePrincessandsummonherservants，womeneveryoneofthem，unlessmysensesmockme。Good-
　　nighttoyou，OSisterandLadyoftheTwoLands，andforgiveme——thatcoronetofyoursissomewhatawry。“
　　AtlastshewasgoneandIrose，wipingmybrowwithacornerofmyrobe，andlookingatthePrincewhostoodbeforethefirelaughingsoftly。
　　“Makeanoteofallthistalk，Ana，“hesaid；“thereismoreinitthanmeetstheear。“
　　“Ineednonote，Prince，“Ianswered；“everywordisburntuponmymindasahotironburnsatabletofwood。Withreasontoo，sincenowherHighnesswillhatemeforallherlife。“
　　“Muchbetterso，Ana，thanthatsheshouldpretendtoloveyou，whichsheneverwouldhavedonewhileyouaremyfriend。Womenoftimesrespectthosewhomtheyhateandevenwilladvancethembecauseofpolicy，butletthosewhomtheypretendtolovebeware。ThetimemaycomewhenyouwillyetbeUserti’smosttrustedcouncillor。“
　　NowhereI，AnatheScribe，willstatethatinafterdays，whenthissamequeenwasthewifeofPharaohSaptah，Idid，asitchanced，becomehermosttrustedcouncillor。Moreover，inthosetimes，yes，andeveninthehourofherdeath，shesworefromthemomenthereyesfirstfellonmeshehadknownmetobetrue-heartedandheldmeinesteemasnoself-seeker。More，Ithinkshebelievedwhatshesaid，havingforgottenthatonceshelookeduponmeasherenemy。ThisindeedIneverwas，whoalwaysheldherinhighregardandhonourasagreatladywholovedhercountry，thoughonewhosometimeswasnotwise。ButasIcouldnotforeseethesethingsonthatnightoflongago，IonlystaredatthePrinceandsaid：
　　“Oh!whydidyounotallowmetodepartasyourHighnesssaidImightatthebeginning？Soonorlatemyheadwillpaythepriceofthisnight’swork。“
　　“Thenshemusttakeminewithit。Listen，Ana。Ikeptyouhere，nottovexthePrincessoryou，butforagoodreason。YouknowthatitisthecustomoftheroyaldynastiesofEgyptforkings，orthosewhowillbekings，towedtheirnearkininorderthatthebloodmayremainthepurer。“
　　“Yes，Prince，andnotonlyamongthosewhoareroyal。Still，Ithinkitanevilcustom。“
　　“AsIdo，sincetheracewhereinitispractisedgrowseverweakerinbodyandinmind；whichiswhy，perhaps，myfatherisnotwhathisfatherwasandIamnotwhatmyfatheris。“
　　“Also，Prince，itishardtomingletheloveofthesisterandofthewife。“
　　“Veryhard，Ana；sohardthatwhenitisattemptedbothareapttovanish。Well，ourmothershavingbeentrueroyalwives，thoughhersdiedbeforeminewasweddedbymyfather，PharaohdesiresthatI
　　shouldmarrymyhalf-sister，Userti，andwhatisworse，shedesiresitalso。Moreover，thepeople，whofeartroubleaheadinEgyptifwe，whoaloneareleftofthetrueroyalracebornofqueens，remainapartandshetakesanotherlord，orItakeanotherwife，demandthatitshouldbebroughtabout，sincetheybelievethatwhoevercallsUsertitheStronghisspousewillonedayruletheland。“
　　“WhydoesthePrincesswishit——thatshemaybeaqueen？“
　　“Yes，Ana，thoughwereshetowedmycousin，Amenmeses，thesonofPharaoh’selderbrotherKhaemuas，shemightstillbeaqueen，ifI
　　chosetostandasideasIwouldnotbelothtodo。“
　　“WouldEgyptsufferthis，Prince？“
　　“Idonotknow，nordoesitmattersinceshehatesAmenmeses，whoisstrong-willedandambitious，andwillhavenoneofhim。Alsoheisalreadymarried。“
　　“Istherenootherroyalonewhomshemighttake，Prince？“
　　“None。Moreovershewishesmealone。“
　　“Why，Prince？“