Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-05


! she picked herself up and went cautiously
| TO the end of the passage to reconnoter.
/ The prince stood under the single lamp
| In the great corridor, between her and the
| refuge of her chamber. Another was close
| 10 him, her hands upon his shoulders
Masanath retired into the dusk and wait
ed When she looked again the hands were
| ciasped about the princes neck. Back into
| the shadows she shrank. pressing her tiny
| palms together In a wild prayer for Ia
| users triumph. After an interval she look
| ed again In time to see Rameses undo the
| arms about his knees and fling the princess
from him. Cold with dismay and shaking
| with her sudden descent from hope to de-
spair Masanath watched him disappear
| into the dark
20 most ill-timed. iron confluence she
walled under her breath. But the change
which had come over Ta-user Interested her
| immedia tely. Fascinated. she forgot to hide
| again. but the light of the single lamp did
| not penetrate to her position.
| The princess kept the posture of ADAM
| doned humiliation into which Rameses had
| flung her, until the heirs footsteps died
| away up the corridor. Then she raised her
| self and faced the direction the prince had
| taken. Her 1.-THE body, bent little. her
| rigid arms were thrust back of her. and
| the hands were clenched hard Her head
| was forced forward. the long neck curved
| sinuously like a vulture's She began to
| speak in whisper that Kissed as though
| she breathed through her words. Masanath
felt her flesh crawl and her soft hair take
| on life. Not all the words of the sorceress
| were Ineligible At first only her eJacula-
| tons were distinct
"Puny knaver' Masanath heard. We'll
for thee l do not love thee, else thou
shouldst sleep this night In the reeking cave
| of a paraschfte with the whine OF feeding
flies about thee for dreams Well for me
that ] do not love thee, for thine instant
| death would rob me of the long revenge
that would liefer have! Share thy crown
with me. When Ta-user hath done with
thee thou shalt have no crown to share!
| Turned from Siptah for thee! How thou
| wilt marvel when thou learnest that never
| turned from Siptah nor wooed thee with
a single glance but for Siptahs sake Go
| on! Sleep Welt Have no regrets. for thy
doom was spoken long before this nights
| naughty work. Rather do l thank thee
| for thy scorn. 1t robs me of qualms ana
| adds instead dark delight in that which
| | shall dor
She turned toward Masanath walking
| swiftly. The fan-bearer's daughter, strick-
| en- with panic, fled. nor paused unui she
| had passed far beyond the chamber OF
| Ta-user.
Covering in a friendly niche, she waited
until the princess had disappeared, ana then
only after a long time was she sufhcienuy
J treasured to reach her own apartments
| 1t was the next days noon before Masa-
nath saw her father. Then he came with
light step as she sat in her room. Approach
ing from behind her, he took her race De,
| tween his hands. and fitting ii back. kissed
her.
Il give thee joy. Masanath. Thou hast
| melted the iron prince.
l
| tell thee I loved him. she demanded
| faint hope stirring in her heart
| Nay. far from u. He told me. and
laughed as he said it; that II thy soit hear'
said he that7 Nay, now: my father. tnou
seest l not marry him There was
relief in her voice. and she drew near 70
| the fan-bearer and invited his arms ne
| sat down instead. and drawing up stool
with his foot. bade her sit at his feet
Listen. 1t is within of the Hathors 10
l
| times that he may accomplish his own
undoing. being blind. Much is at stake on
thy love for the prince. Awake, Masahalh'
Thou dost love him; thou wilt wed him
and it shall go well with-all others whom
"Wouldst use me for a price. my father
| wouldst barter thy daughter Tor son1e-
| thing?" she asked I'm a tone low with APP
prehenSion. . -,
"Ah. what inelegant words" he child.
| Thou dost miscall my purpose. Look, my
daughter. Have i not served thee with
hand and heart all thy life. asking nothing.
sacrificing much? !. for one have a deot
| against thee, and thou canst pay IL In thy
| marriage to Rameses. Dost thou not love
| me enough to make me secure with the
| prince and so, secure in mine advisership
| to the king?'
| "Shall 1 hold thee in thy position at the
| expense of Egypts peace, IL not at the ex-
pense of the dynasty" Masanath cried.
| by the demonstrating shoulders or
| Buto," he responded laughingly. thou dust
put a high estimate on the results of thine
| acts. Add thereto. If not at the expense or
| the Pantheon and thou shalt have all
| heaven and earth at thy mercy.
Nay. my father. hear me! Thou knowest
Ta-user-
20. aye. know Ta-user-all Egypt knows
her. Her fangs are drawn. daughter"
| Hear me. father. Last night after
Rameses-after he-after he left me, he met
| Ta-user. And the talk between them was
| of such nature that she knelt to him and
| he flung her off. They were between me
| and mine apartments. and could not but
| know of it. When he left her she made
| such threats that 1t were treason for me TO
| give them voice again. What she asked or
| him surmise. 1t could not have been other
| than a prayer to him to fulfill what was
| expected of him concerning her Thou
| knowest the breach between the Pharaoh
| and his brother. Amon-meses, is but feebly
| bridged till Rameses shall heal the wound
| in marriage with Ta-user His failure. added
| to the vehement contempt he displayed for
| her last night, shall make that breach ten
| times as deep and ever receding SO there
| can be no healing OF it..
| Har-hat flung his head back and laugh
| ed heartily.
| Thou timid child, frightened with the
| rawlings of a discarded wanton. She and
her following of churls can do nothing
| against the Son of Ptah. The moles in the
| metropolis are richer than they. None OF
loyal Egypt will espouse their cause ana
| without money how shall they get them
| mercenaries? Nay, why vex thee with
| matters of state? All that Is required or
| thee is thy heart for Harnesses no more.
1
| insisted coming near him. Knowing that
II love him not. perchance he might be
| gentler with Ta-user did he see his peril.
/ Again Har-hat laughed.
| 81 am not blind, o little reluctant, he
/ said Il know the secret spring of thy con-
! Germ for Egypt-for Ta-user-for Rameses
! have not told thee all the stake upon thy
love for the prince. Does it not seem that
| since a maiden will not love one winsome
| man there must be another already INSTALL
ed in her heart? But have a care lest 1t
! bring disaster upon him whom thou hast
put in jeopardy of the fierce power of the
| prince"
| Masanath's eyes widened with terror. The
| fan-bearer continued: - have but to mem
| ton the name of Hotep-"
| She clutched at her heart
| NAY bring no disaster on the head of the
noble Hotep," she begged. "He-I-there is
| naught between US
| 1T is even as / had thought. / shall tell
| Rameses and send him to thee" he said
moving away
/ With a bound she was between him and
| the door.
/ ..If he ask tell him there is naught be-
| tween me and the royal scribe, but send him
not hither," she commanded with We
1 hemence.