“They tore the cloak and the false beard from him and there before me stood Laban.  I cursed him to his face.  But all he answered was: 

“’Merapi, what I have done I did for love of you.  It was my purpose to take you away to our people, for here I knew that they would kill you.  This magician promised you to me if I could tempt you from the safety of the palace, in return for certain tidings that I have given him.’

“These were the only words that passed between us till the end.  They dragged us to the secret prison of the great temple where we were separated.  Here all day long Ki and the priests tormented me with questions, to which I gave no answer.  Towards the evening they brought me out and led me here with Laban at my side.  When the people saw me a great cry went up of ‘Sorceress!  Hebrew witch!’ They broke through the guard; they seized me, threw me to the ground and beat me.  Laban strove to protect me but was torn away.  At length the people were driven off, and oh! my lord, you know the rest.  I have spoken truth, I can no more.”

So saying her knees loosened beneath her and she swooned.  We bore her to the chariot.

“You have heard, Ki,” said the Prince.  “Now, what answer?”

“None, O Pharaoh,” he replied coldly, “for Pharaoh you are, as I promised that you should be.  My spirit has deserted me, those Hebrews have stolen it away.  That writing should have faded from the scroll as soon as it was read by yonder lady, and then I would have told you another story; a story of secret love, of betrayal and attempted flight with her lover.  But some evil god kept it there until you also had read, you who knew that you had not written what appeared before your eyes.  Pharaoh, I am conquered.  Do your will with me, and farewell.  Beloved you shall always be as you have always been, but happy never in this world.”

“O People,” cried Seti, “I will not be judge in my own cause.  You have heard, do you judge.  For this wizard, what reward?”

Then there went up a great cry of “Death!  Death by fire.  The death he had made ready for the innocent!”

That was the end, but they told me afterwards that, when the great pyre had burned out, in it was found the head of Ki looking like a red-hot stone.  When the sunlight fell on it, however, it crumbled and faded away, as the writing had faded from the roll.  If this be true I do not know, who was not present at the time.

We bore Merapi to the palace.  She lived but three days, she whose body and spirit were broken.  The last time I saw her was when she sent for me not an hour before death came.  She was lying in Seti’s arms babbling to him of their child and looking very sweet and happy.  She thanked me for my friendship, smiling the while in a way which showed me that she knew it was more than friendship, and bade me tend my master well until we all met again elsewhere.  Then she gave me her hand to kiss and I went away weeping.