We passed on through many more tombs, till we stood in the shadow of Her,[*] and Cleopatra gazed astonished at its polished beauty, which for thousands of years, night by night, had mirrored back the moon, and at the black girdle of Ethiopian stone that circled its base about.  For this is the most beautiful of all pyramids.

     [*] The “Upper,” now known as the Third Pyramid.—­Editor.

“Is it that we must enter?” she said.

I answered, “It is here.”

We passed round between the Temple of the Worship of his Divine Majesty, Menkau-ra, the Osirian, and in the base of the pyramid till we came to the north side.  Here in the centre is graved the name of Pharaoh Menkau-ra, who built the pyramid to be his tomb, and stored his treasure in it against the need of Khem.

“If the treasure still remains,” I said to Cleopatra, “as it remained in the days of my great-great-grandfather, who was Priest of this Pyramid before me, it is hid deep in the womb of the mass before thee, Cleopatra; nor can it be come by without toil, danger, and terror of mind.  Art thou prepared to enter—­for thou thyself must enter and must judge?”

“Canst thou not go in with the eunuch, Harmachis, and bring the treasure forth?” she said, for a little her courage began to fail her.

“Nay, Cleopatra,” I answered, “not even for thee and for the weal of Egypt can I do this thing, for of all sins it would be the greatest sin.  But it is lawful for me to do this.  I, as hereditary holder of the secret, may, upon demand, show to the ruling monarch of Khem the place where the treasure lies, and show also the warning that is written.  And if on seeing and reading, the Pharaoh deems that the need of Khem is so sore and strait that it is lawful for him to brave the curse of the Dead and draw forth the treasure, it is well, for on his head must rest the weight of this dread deed.  Three monarchs—­so say the records that I have read—­have thus dared to enter in the time of need.  They were the Divine Queen Hatshepsu, that wonder known to the Gods alone; her Divine brother Tahutimes Men-Kheper-ra; and the Divine Rameses Mi-amen.  But of these three Majesties, not one when they saw dared to touch; for, though sharp their need, it was not great enough to consecrate the act.  So, fearing lest the curse should fall upon them, they went hence sorrowing.”

She thought a little, till at last her spirit overcame her fear.

“At the least I will see with mine own eyes,” she said.

“It is well,” I answered.  Then, stones having been piled up by me and the eunuch who was with us on a certain spot at the base of the pyramid, to somewhat more than the height of a man, I climbed on them and searched for the secret mark, no larger than a leaf.  I found it with some trouble, for the weather and the rubbing of the wind-stirred sand had worn even the Ethiopian stone.  Having found it, I pressed on it with all my strength in a certain