“Ah!” Tua repeated after him, “while the obelisks stand that the Hyksos thief set up you will not acknowledge me, Pharaoh’s bastard daughter!”

Then she paused and seemed to grow disturbed; she sighed, wrung her hands a little, and said in a choking voice: 

“I am but one woman alone among you.  My father, Pharaoh, is dead, and you bid me lay down my rank and henceforth rule only through him who trapped Pharaoh and brought him to his end.  What, then, can I do?”

“Be a good maid and obey your husband, Bastard,” mocked a voice, and during the roar of laughter that followed Tua looked at the speaker, an officer of Abi’s, who had taken a great part in the slaughter of their escort.

Very strangely she looked at him, and those who stood by the man noted that his lips became white, and that he turned so faint that had it not been for the press about him he would have fallen.  Presently he seemed to recover, and asked the priests who were near to let him join their circle, as among the outer throng the heat was too great for him to bear.  Thereon one of them nodded and made room for him, and he passed in, which Tua noted also.

Now she was speaking again.

“Ill names to throw at Egypt’s anointed queen, crowned and accepted by the god himself in the sanctuary of his most holy temple,” she said, her eyes still resting on the brutal soldier.  “Yet it is your hour, and she must bear them who has no friends in Memphis.  Oh! what shall I do?” and again she wrung her hands.  “Good People, it was sworn to me that Amen, greatest of the gods, set his spirit within me when I was born, and vowed that he would help me in the hour of my need.  Of your grace, then, give me space to pray to Amen.  Look,” and she pointed before her, “yonder sinks the red ball of the sun; soon, soon it will be gone—­give me until it enters the gateways of the West to pray to Amen, and then if no help comes I will bow me to your bidding, and do homage to this noble Prince of the Hyksos blood, who snared Pharaoh his brother, and by help of his magicians and of his spy, Merytra, brought him to his end.”

“Yes, my people, give her the space she asks,” called Abi, who feared nothing from Amen, a somewhat remote personage, and was afraid lest some tumult should happen in the course of which this lovely, new-made wife of his might be slain or injured.

So they gave her the space of time she asked.  Standing up, Tua raised her arms and eyes towards heaven, and began to pray aloud: 

“Hear me, Amen my Father, in the House of thy Rest, as thou hast sworn to do.  O Amen my Father, thou seest my strait.  Is it thy will that thy daughter should degrade herself and thee before this man who slew his king and brother, to whom thou hast commanded her to give the name of husband?  If it be so, I will obey; but if it be not so, then show thy word by might or marvel, and cause him and his folk who mock my majesty and name me bastard, to bow