"Am I dreaming," cried he, "or has Set cast his curse on me? Thou, a priestess, guarding the fire before the altar of Astaroth,--thou, who under the threat of death must be a virgin, art thou going to marry? In truth, Phœnician deceit is worse than people's account of it." "Hear me, lord," said Kama, wiping her tears away, "and condemn if I deserve it. Sargon wishes to take me as his first wife. According to our laws a priestess may, in very exceptional cases, become a wife, but only if the man is of kingly origin. Sargon is a relative of King Assar." "And wilt thou marry him?" "If the supreme council of Tyrian priests command me, what can I do?" replied she, bursting into tears again. "And what is Sargon to that council?" asked the prince. "Very much, perhaps," said Kama, with a sigh. "The Assyrians will take Phœnicia in all likelihood, and Sargon will be its satrap." "Art thou demented?" exclaimed the prince. "I say what I know. In our temple we have begun prayers the second time to avert misfortune from Phœnicia. We had our first prayers before thou didst come to us." "Why do ye pray now?" "Because the Chaldean priest Istubar has just come to Egypt with letters, in which King Assar appoints Sargon his ambassador to conclude a treaty with you about the taking of Phœnicia--" "But I--" interrupted the prince. He wished to say, "know nothing," but he restrained himself, laughed, and answered,-- "Kama, I swear to thee, on the honor of my father, that while I live Assyria will not take Phœnicia. Is that enough?" "Oh, lord, lord!" cried she, falling at his feet. "Then thou wilt not become the wife of that rude fellow?" "Oh," shuddered she, "canst thou ask such a question?" "And thou wilt be mine," whispered the prince. "Dost thou wish my death?" asked she, terrified. "Well, if thou wish it, I am ready." "I wish thee to live," whispered he, impassioned,--"to live, belonging to me." "That cannot be." "But the supreme council of Tyrian priests?" "They can permit nothing but marriage." "But thou wilt enter my house." "If I enter it not as thy wife, I shall die. But I am ready even not to see to-morrow's sun." "Be at rest," replied the prince, seriously. "Whoso has my favor will not experience injustice." Kama knelt before him a second time. "How can that be?" asked she, clasping her hands. Rameses was so roused that he had forgotten his position and his duties; he was ready to promise the priestess even marriage. He was restrained from that step, not by judgment, but by some dumb instinct. "How can this be? How can this be?" whispered Kama, devouring him with her glances and kissing his feet. The prince raised her, seated her at a distance from him, and said with a smile,-- "Thou askest how this can be--I will explain immediately. My last teacher, before I reached maturity, was a certain old priest, who knew a multitude of marvellous histories from the lives of gods, kings, priests, even lower officials and laborers.