By her advice he had sought to wed the princess, as a fresh mark of honor—­as an addition to his revenues—­as a pledge for his personal safety.  His heart had never been more or less attached to her than to any other beautiful woman in Egypt.  Now her proud and noble personality stood before his inward eye, and he felt as if he must look up to it as to a vision high out of his reach.  It vexed him that he had followed Katuti’s advice, and he began to wish his suit had been repulsed.  Marriage with Bent-Anat seemed to him beset with difficulties.  His mood was that of a man who craves some brilliant position, though he knows that its requirements are beyond his powers—­that of an ambitious soul to whom kingly honors are offered on condition that he will never remove a heavy crown from his head.  If indeed another plan should succeed, if—­ and his eyes flashed eagerly—­if fate set him on the seat of Rameses, then the alliance with Bent-Anat would lose its terrors; there would he be her absolute King and Lord and Master, and no one could require him to account for what he might be to her, or vouchsafe to her.

CHAPTER V.

During the events we have described the house of the charioteer Mena had not remained free from visitors.

It resembled the neighboring estate of Paaker, though the buildings were less new, the gay paint on the pillars and walls was faded, and the large garden lacked careful attention.  In the vicinity of the house only, a few well-kept beds blazed with splendid flowers, and the open colonnade, which was occupied by Katuti and her daughter, was furnished with royal magnificence.

The elegantly carved seats were made of ivory, the tables of ebony, and they, as well as the couches, had gilt feet.  The artistically worked Syrian drinking vessels on the sideboard, tables, and consoles were of many forms; beautiful vases full of flowers stood everywhere; rare perfumes rose from alabaster cups, and the foot sank in the thick pile of the carpets which covered the floor.

And over the apparently careless arrangement of these various objects there reigned a peculiar charm, an indescribably fascinating something.

Stretched at full-length on a couch, and playing with a silky-haired white cat, lay the fair Nefert—­fanned to coolness by a negro-girl—­while her mother Katuti nodded a last farewell to her sister Setchem and to Paaker.

Both had crossed this threshold for the first time for four years, that is since the marriage of Mena with Nefert, and the old enmity seemed now to have given way to heartfelt reconciliation and mutual understanding.

After the pioneer and his mother had disappeared behind the pomegranate shrubs at the entrance of the garden, Katuti turned to her daughter and said: 

“Who would have thought it yesterday?  I believe Paaker loves you still.”

Nefert colored, and exclaimed softly, while she hit the kitten gently with her fan—­