"I shall not be satisfied till I humiliate that Jewess," cried Kama, "till she, by serving me and kneeling at my feet, forgets that she was once thy first woman and the mistress of this villa. I shall not be satisfied till my servants cease to look at me with fear and without confidence, and on her with compassion."
The Phoenician woman was less and less pleasing to Ramses.
"Kama," said he, "consider what I tell thee: If a servant here were to kick in the teeth a female dog that was suckling its young, I should hunt that servant out of this villa. Thou hast struck with thy foot between the eyes a woman and a mother. In Egypt mother is a great word. A good Egyptian reverences three things beyond all others, the gods, the pharaoh, and his own mother."
"Oh, woe to me!" cried Kama, throwing herself on the couch. "Here is my reward, wretched woman, for denying my goddess. One week ago men placed flowers at my feet and burnt incense before me, but today."
The prince walked out of the chamber quietly, and saw the priestess again only after some days had passed.
But she was still in evil humor.
"I implore thee, lord," cried she, "think a little more of me. My servants even begin to contemn me, the warriors look at me with a frown, and I am afraid that some one in the kitchen may poison the food prepared for me."
"I was occupied with the army, so I could not visit thee," replied the viceroy.
"That is untrue," answered Kama, in anger. "Yesterday Thou wert outside the entrance to this house, and then Thou didst go to the servants' house, where dwells the Jewess. Thou didst this to show."
"Enough!" interrupted the prince. "I was neither here nor at the servants' house. If it seemed to thee that Thou wert looking at me, that means that thy lover, that worthless Greek, not only has not left Egypt, but even dares to wander through my garden."