The Pharaoh and the Priest. Bolesław Prus

ho!" laughed Ramses.

      "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 Ramses, 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."

      "He is not a bandit yet, but some day he may become the greatest bandit this laud has ever suffered," said Tutmosis the exquisite, arranging his wig,

      "And Thou must be a dancer," answered the girl, grown courageous. "Oh! I am even certain that I saw thee at the fair in Pi-Bailos, enchanting serpents."

      The two young men fell into perfect humor.

      "But who art thou?" asked Ramses of the girl, taking her hand, which she drew back.

      "Be not so bold. I am Sarah, the daughter of Gideon, the manager of this estate."

      "A Jewess," said Ramses; and a shadow passed over his face.

      "What harm in that? what harm in that?" cried Tutmosis.

      "Dost think that Jewesses are less sweet than Egyptian girls? They are only more modest and more difficult, which gives their love an uncommon charm."

      "So ye are pagans," said Sarah, with dignity. "Rest, if ye are tired, pluck some grapes for yourselves, and go with God. Our servants are not glad to see guests like you."

      She wished to go, but Ramses detained her.

      "Stop! Thou hast pleased me, and may not leave us in this way."

      "The evil spirit has seized thee; no one in this valley would dare to speak thus to me," said Sarah, now indignant.

      "Yes; for, seest thou," interrupted Tutmosis, "this young man is an officer of the priestly regiment of Ptah, and a secretary of the secretary of a lord who carries his fan over the fan-carrier of the nomarch of Habu."

      "Surely he must be an officer," answered Sarah, looking with thoughtfulness at Ramses. "Maybe he is a great lord himself?" added she, putting her finger on her lips.

      "Whoever I am, thy beauty surpasses my dignity," answered he, suddenly.

       "But tell me, is it true that the Jews eat pork?"

      Sarah looked at him offended; and Tutmosis added,

      "How evident it is that Thou knowest not Jewesses! I tell thee that a Jew would rather die than eat pork, which, for my part, I do not consider as the worst."

      "But do they eat cats?" insisted Ramses, pressing Sarah's hand and looking into her eyes.

      "And that is a fable, a vile fable!" exclaimed Tutmosis. "Thou mightst have asked me about those things instead of talking nonsense. I have had three Jewish mistresses."

      "So far Thou hast told the truth, but now Thou art lying," called out

       Sarah. "A Jewess would not be any man's mistress," added she, proudly.

      "Even the mistress of the secretary of a lord who carries the fan for the nomarch of Memphis?" asked Tutmosis, jeeringly.

      "Even."

      "Even the mistress of the lord who carries the fan?"

      Sarah hesitated, but answered,

      "Even."

      "Then perhaps she would not become the mistress of the nomarch?"

      The girl's hands dropped. With astonishment she looked in turn at the young men; her lips quivered, and her eyes filled with tears.

      "Who are ye?" inquired she, alarmed. "Ye have come down from the hills, like travelers who wish bread and water, but ye speak to me as might the greatest lords. Who are ye? Thy sword," said she, turning to Ramses, "is set with emeralds, and on thy neck is a chain of such work as even our lord, the great Sesofris, has not in his treasury."

      "Better tell me if I please thee," insisted Ramses, pressing her hand and looking into her eyes tenderly.

      "Thou art beautiful, as beautiful as the angel Gabriel; but I fear thee, for I know not who Thou art."

      Then from beyond the hilltop was heard the sound of a trumpet.

      "They are calling thee!" cried Tutmosis.

      "And if I were as great a lord as thy Sesofris?" asked Ramses.

      "Then maybe" answered Sarah.

      "And if I carried the fan of the nomarch of Memphis?"

      "Thou mayest be even as great as that."

      Somewhere beyond the hill was heard the second trumpet.

      "Come, Ramses!" insisted the frightened Tutmosis.

      "But if I were heir to the throne, wouldst Thou come to me?" cried the prince.

      "O Jehovah!" exclaimed Sarah, dropping on her knees.

      From various points trumpets summoned, now urgently.

      "Let us run!" cried Tutmosis, in desperation. "Dost Thou not hear the alarm in the camp?"

      Ramses took the chain from his neck quickly and threw it on Sarah.

      "Give this to thy father. I will buy thee from him. Be in health."

      He kissed her lips passionately, and she embraced-his knees. He tore away, ran a couple of paces, turned again, and again fondled her beautiful face and dark hair with kisses, as if he heard not those impatient calls to the army.

      "In the name of his holiness the pharaoh, I summon thee, follow me!" cried Tutmosis; and he seized the prince's hand.

      They ran toward the trumpet-calls. Ramses tottered at moments like a drunken man, and turned his head. At last they were climbing the opposite hill.

      "And this man," thought Tutmosis, "wants to battle with the priesthood!"

CHAPTER IV

       Table of Contents

      RAMSES and his comrade ran about a quarter of an hour along the rocky ridge of the hill, drawing ever nearer to the trumpets, which sounded more and more urgently. At last they reached a point where they took in at a glance the whole region. Toward the left stretched the highway; beyond that were seen clearly the city of Pi-Bailos, the regiments of the heir drawn up behind it, and an immense cloud of dust which rose above his opponent hastening forward from the east.

      On the right yawned a broad ravine, along the middle of which the Greek regiment was dragging military engines. Not far from the road the ravine was lost in another and a broader one which began in the depth of the desert.

      At this point something uncommon was happening. The Greeks stood unoccupied not far from the junction of the two ravines; but at the juncture itself, and between the highway and the staff of Ramses, marched out four dense lines of some other army, like four fences, bristling with glittering darts.

      In spite of the steep road the prince rushed down at full speed to his division, to the place where the minister of war stood surrounded by officers.

      "What is happening?" called he, threateningly. "Why sound an alarm instead of marching?"

      "We are cut off," said Herhor.

      "By whom?"

      "Our division by three regiments of Nitager, who has marched out of the desert."

      "Then the enemy is there, near the highway?"

      "Yes, the invincible Nitager himself."

      It seemed in that moment that the heir