“The business of the Court is finished,” said the Prince.  “Officers, see that this woman is escorted to her own people, and with her the body of her father for burial.  See, too, upon your lives that no insult or harm is done to her.  Scribe Ana, accompany me hence to my house where I would speak with you.  Let guards precede and follow me.”

He rose and all the people bowed.  As he turned to go the lady Merapi stepped forward, and falling upon her knees, said: 

“O most just Prince, now and ever I am your servant.”

Then we set out, and as we left the market-place on our way to the palace of the Prince, I heard a tumult of voices behind us, some in praise and some in blame of what had been done.  We walked on in silence broken only by the measured tramp of the guards.  Presently the moon passed behind a cloud and the world was dark.  Then from the edge of the cloud sprang out a ray of light that lay straight and narrow above us on the heavens.  Seti studied it a while and said: 

“Tell me, O Ana, of what does that moonbeam put you in mind?”

“Of a sword, O Prince,” I answered, “stretched out over Egypt and held in the black hand of some mighty god or spirit.  See, there is the blade from which fall little clouds like drops of blood, there is the hilt of gold, and look! there beneath is the face of the god.  Fire streams from his eyebrows and his brow is black and awful.  I am afraid, though what I fear I know not.”

“You have a poet’s mind, Ana.  Still, what you see I see and of this I am sure, that some sword of vengeance is indeed stretched out over Egypt because of its evil doings, whereof this light may be the symbol.  Behold! it seems to fall upon the temples of the gods and the palace of Pharaoh, and to cleave them.  Now it is gone and the night is as nights were from the beginning of the world.  Come to my chamber and let us eat.  I am weary, I need food and wine, as you must after struggling with that lustful murderer whom I have sent to his own place.”

The guards saluted and were dismissed.  We mounted to the Prince’s private chambers, in one of which his servants clad me in fine linen robes after a skilled physician of the household had doctored the bruises upon my thigh over which he tied a bandage spread with balm.  Then I was led to a small dining-hall, where I found the Prince waiting for me as though I were some honoured guest and not a poor scribe who had wondered hence from Memphis with my wares.  He caused me to sit down at his right hand and even drew up the chair for me himself, whereat I felt abashed.  To this day I remember that leather-seated chair.  The arms of it ended in ivory sphinxes and on its back of black wood in an oval was inlaid the name of the great Rameses, to whom indeed it had once belonged.  Dishes were handed to us—­only two of them and those quite simple, for Seti was no great eater—­by a young Nubian slave of a very merry face, and with them wine more delicious than any I had ever tasted.