"People of weak mind or of evil faith," said the priest, "where have ye heard that one woman could stop the will of the gods? Every year in the month Thoth the Nile begins to increase and rises till the month Choeak. Has it ever happened otherwise, though our land has been full at all times of strangers, sometimes foreign priests and princes, who groaning in captivity and grievous labor might utter the most dreadful curses through sorrow and anger? They would have brought on our heads all kinds of misfortune, and more than one of them would have given their lives if only the sun would not rise over Egypt in the morning, or if the Nile would not rise when the year began. And what came of their prayers? Either they were not heard in the heavens, or foreign gods had no power in presence of the gods of Egypt. How then is a woman who lives pleasantly among us to cause a misfortune which is beyond the power of our mightiest enemies?" "The holy father speaks truth. Wise are the words of the prophet!" said people among the multitude. "But Messu (Moses), the Jewish leader, brought darkness and death into Egypt!" said one voice. "Let the man who said that step forth," cried the priest. "I challenge him, let him come forward, unless he is an enemy of the Egyptian people." The crowd murmured like a wind from afar blowing between trees, but no man came forward. "I speak truth," continued the priest; "evil men are moving among you like hyenas in a sheepfold. They have no pity on your misery, they urged you to destroy the house of the heir and to rebel against the pharaoh. If their vile plan had succeeded and blood had begun to flow from your bosoms, they would have hidden before spears as they hide now before my challenge." "Listen to the prophet! Praise to thee, man of God!" cried the people, inclining their foreheads. The most pious fell to the earth. "Hear me, Egyptian people. In return for your faith in the words of a priest, for your obedience to the pharaoh and the heir, for the honor which ye give to a servant of the god, a favor will be shown you. Go to your houses in peace, and even before ye have left this hill the Nile will be rising." "Oh, may it rise!" "Go! The greater your faith and piety the more quickly will ye see the sign of favor." "Let us go! Let us go! Be blessed, O prophet, thou son of prophets!" They began to separate, kissing the robe of the priest. With that some one shouted,-- "The miracle, the miracle is accomplished." On the tower in Memphis a light flamed up. "The Nile is rising! See, more and more lights! Indeed a mighty saint spoke to us. May he live through eternity!" They turned toward the priest, but he had vanished among shadows.