"Has a charm fallen on my eyes? Look, Rameses! Why, a second Egypt is concealed between these cliffs!" "That must be an estate of some priest who pays no taxes," replied the prince, bitterly. In the depth before their feet lay a rich valley in the form of a fork the tines of which were hidden between cliffs. At the juncture of the tines a number of servants' huts were visible, and the beautiful little villa of the owner or manager. Palm-trees grew there, grapes, olives, figs with aerial roots, cypresses, even young baobabs. In the centre flowed a rivulet, and at the source of it, some hundreds of yards higher up, small gardens were visible. When they had gone down among grape-vines covered with ripe clusters, they heard a woman's voice which called, or rather sang in pensive notes: "Where art thou gone from me, where art thou, hen of mine? Thou hast fled, thou art gone from me. I give thee drink and clean grain; what I give is so good that slaves envy thee. Where art thou gone, my hen--wilt thou not answer me? Night will come down on thee, think of that; thou wilt not reach thy home, where all are at work for thee. Come; if thou come not, a falcon will fly from the desert and tear the heart out of thee. If he come thou wilt call in vain, as I now call in vain to thee. Give answer, or I shall be angry and leave this place. If I leave thou'lt go home on thy own feet." The song came toward the two men. The songstress was a few yards from them when Tutmosis thrust his head from between the bushes, and said,-- "Just look, Rameses, but that is a beautiful maiden!" Instead of looking, the prince sprang into the path and stopped the road before the songstress. She was really a beautiful maiden, with Grecian features and a complexion like ivory. From under the veil on her head peeped forth an immense mass of dark hair, wound in a knot. She wore a white trailing robe which she held on one side with her hand; under the transparent covering were maiden breasts shaped like apples. "Who art thou?" cried Rameses. The threatening furrows vanished from his forehead and his eyes flashed. "O Jehovah! O Father!" cried she, frightened, halting motionless on the path. But she grew calm by degrees, and her velvety eyes resumed their expression of mild sadness. "Whence hast thou come?" inquired she of Rameses, with a voice trembling a little. "I see that thou art a soldier, but it is not permitted soldiers to come here." "Why is it not permitted?" "Because this is the land of a great lord named Sesofris." "Ho! ho!" laughed Rameses. "Laugh not, for thou wilt grow pale soon. The lord Sesofris is secretary to the lord Chaires, who carries his fan for the most worthy nomarch of Memphis. My father has seen him and fallen on his face before him." "Ho! ho! ho!" repeated Rameses, laughing continually. "Thy words are very insolent," said the maiden, frowning. "Were kindness not looking from thy face, I should think thee a mercenary from Greece or a bandit."