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

At this point 1t was seen that the Pharoan
| and his queen were preparing to leave the
hall. All the company arose. and after the
| royal pair had passed out the guests began
to depart. Rameses left his party and
Joining Har-hat. led the fan-bearer away
| from the company.
| ut seems that thou. with others, heardest
my words with Masanath.' the prince be-
| gan at once "It is WELL for it saves me
as my queen"
| Har-hat seemed to ponder little before
he answered. "Masanath does not love
| three" he said at last.
| Rameses contemplated the fan-bearer mar
| rowly for a moment. Come, thou hast
game" he said finally. "Out with 1t! Name
| thy stake
when thou canst use me courteously.
Rameses," he said with dignity, Il shall
| talk with thee again. Meanwhile do not
| build on wedding with Masanath. 1 shall
mate her with him who hath respect for her
| father"
"Out with It," he insisted more calmly.
| What is it? Power. wealth or wife?
| These three things 1 have to give thee.
| Take thy choice
81 would have thee use me respectfully.
| reverently," Har-hat retorted warmly. Il
| would have thee speak favorably of me;
| would have thee do me no injustice by deed
| or word. nor peril my standing with the
| king! This / demand of theeI will not
| buy it!''
ST am to keep silence in the council
| chamber and resign to thee the molding OF
| my plastic father. 1t is well. for l am not
| pleased with ruling before l wear the
| crown But mark me! Thou shalt not adj
wise me when I rule over Egypt What
| more?"
80 thou observest these things 1 am sat
| isfied.'
"Godsw but thou art moderate. Masa
| nath is worth more than that. Do l take
| her?"
| 81 shall speak with her, Har-hat re-
| sponded, land give thee her word
For a moment the prince contemplated
| the fan-bearer, then he turned without
| word and strobe out of the chamber. In
| corridor near his own apartments he over
| took the daughter of Har-hat. Her woman
| was with her.
The prince stepped before them.
The attendant erouched and fed some
where out of sight. Masanath drew her
| self to the fullest of her few inches and
| waited for Rameses to speak.
| Come, Masanath'' he said. thou canst
| reach the limit of thy power to be ungra-
cious and but fix me the firmer in my love
! for thee. l am come to tell thee that L
| have won thee from thy father"
Thou hast not won me from myself,
she replied.
NAY. but / shall"
Thou dost overestimate myself" she
retorted. Catching up the fan and chaplet
| that her woman had let fall she made as
though to run past him. But he put him
self in her way, and with shining eyes.
caught her in his arms
Sooner would 1 sit upon the peak of
pyramid all my life than upon a throne
with thee; sooner would 1 be crowned with
! fire than wear the asp of a queen to thee.
| My father may wed me to thee. but I will
never love thee, nor say 1t, nor pretend 1t.
| Thou wilt not win a wife if thou dost
| take queen by violence. Release mev
Thou dost rivet mine arms about thee"
| She stiffened herself and savagely sub
| mitted to her Imprisonment
Rameses laughed and, bending her head
back. kissed her repeatedly and with much
| tenderness. She struggled madly, but he
| held her fast.
There! carry thy hate of me only to the
| edge Of sleep and dream sweetly of me-"
He released her and continued down the
| hall.
| AS he turned out of the smaller passage
! into the larger corridor Ta-user stepped
| huge column dwarfed her into tniness. The
| hall was but dimly lighted by a single
lamp, and that fared above her head.
| Rameses paused for she stood in his
path.
! Not yet gone to thy rest?" he asked
"Rest!" she said scornfully. Gone to a
| night-long frenzy of relentless conscious
ness-weary tossing, wasted prayers. have
not rested since left the Hakheb."
Her voice sounded hollow in the great
| empty hall.
80? Thou art ready for the care of the
| physicians by this. then, o my sister"
II am not thy sister,"
| What! Hast quarreled with the gentle
Setir
''Rameses. do not mock me. seti does not
even stir my pulses He could not rob me
| Of my peace"
What temperate love, Mine makes my
temples. crack and fills mine hours with
| sweet distress"
Ta-user Licked at him for moment then
rais.zs her hands. caught the folds of his
r0oe over his breast
''Rameses, how far wilt thou go in this
| trifing with the Lady Masanath?"
ITO the marrying priests" Without look
| Ing at her, he loosed her hands. swung them
| idly and let them go.
''Stay, Rameses," she urged. catching at
| his robes once more. Il would have thee
know something. But am I to tell thee in
words what would have thee know? Sure
| ly 1 have not let slip single chance to
show thee by token. Art thou stubborn or
blind. that thou dost not pity me and spare
| me the avowal?"
Rameses looked down at her upturned face
without a softening line on his pallid coun-
tenance.
| "Ta-user," he said deliberately, had 1
been mummied and entombed l should have
known thine intent. / marvel that thou
! couldst think 1 had not seen. Now, hast
| thou not guessed my mind by this? Have
| not been sufficiently explicit? Must l. too,
| lay bare my heart In words?"
She did not speak for a moment. Then
| she said eagerly:
| LET not thy jealousy trouble thee con-
corning Seti-he is naught to mel love
| him not-a boy, no more
"Seti!" he exclaimed contemptuously. H'I
have no feeling against Seti save for his
unfealty to 10, the little child who loves
| hin-whose heart thou hast most deliber-
ately broken
Not So" she declared vehemently., 'I
| cannot help the boys attachment to me.
| She is a child, as thou hast said and is
| easily comforted. Not so with maturer
hearts like mine.'
She put her arms about his neck and
| finging her head back, gazed at him with
| a heavy eye.
| She was not dealing with Seti or Siptah
| or any other whom she had bewitched.
| There was no spell in the topaz eyes for
Rameses. If her sorcery affected him at
all, it won no more than cursory interest
| In her next move.
''The night is too short to recount my
reasons" he replied calmly. as he put her
arms away. But 1 might point out the
snarling eur, Siptah. for one. and few
| other comedy lords of Egypt
What hast thou done in thy life?' she
cried. II am no more wicked than thou.
Thou hast found delight in others beside
whom am all innocence"
She dropped before him, her white robes
| numbering his path, her arms clasping his
| knees