"What would there be blamable in that? Herhor will be high priest in Thebes very soon, and his daughter is only fourteen years of age." "And would she consent to occupy the place of the Jewess?" asked Rameses, ironically. "Thou shouldst try to have people forget thy present error." "I kiss thy feet, mother, and I go," said the prince, seizing his own head. "I hear so many marvellous things here that I begin to fear lest the Nile may flow up toward the cataract, or the pyramids pass over to the eastern desert." "Blaspheme not, my child," whispered the lady, gazing with fear at Rameses. "In this land most wonderful miracles are seen." "Are not they this, that the walls of the palace listen to their owners?" asked her son, with a bitter smile. "Men have witnessed the death of pharaohs who had reigned a few months only, and the fall of dynasties which had governed nine nations." "Yes, for those pharaohs forgot the sword for the distaff," retorted Rameses. He bowed and went out. In proportion as the sound of Rameses' steps grew less in the immense antechamber, the face of the worthy lady changed; the place of majesty was taken by pain and fear, while tears were glistening in her great eyes. She ran to the statue of the goddess, knelt, and sprinkling incense from India on the coals, began to pray,-- "O Isis, Isis, Isis! three times do I pronounce thy name. O Isis, who givest birth to serpents, crocodiles, and ostriches, may thy name be thrice praised. O Isis, who preservest grains of wheat from robber whirlwinds, and the bodies of our fathers from the destructive toil of time, O Isis, take pity on my son and preserve him! Thrice be thy name repeated--and here--and there--and beyond, to-day and forever, and for the ages of ages, as long as the temples of our gods shall gaze on themselves in the waters of the Nile." Thus praying and sobbing, the queen bowed down and touched the pavement with her forehead. Above her at that moment a low whisper was audible,-- "The voice of the just is heard always." The worthy lady sprang up, and full of astonishment looked around. But there was no one in the chamber. Only the painted flowers gazed at her from the walls, and from above the altar the statue of the goddess full of superterrestrial calm. CHAPTER VIII The prince returned to his villa full of care, and summoned Tutmosis. "Thou must," said Rameses, "teach me how to find money." "Ha!" laughed the exquisite; "that is a kind of wisdom not taught in the highest school of the priests, but wisdom in which I might be a prophet." "In those schools they explain that a man should not borrow money," said Rameses.