She ran to the statue of the goddess, knelt, and sprinkling incense from India on the coals, began to pray,
"O Isis, Isis, Isis! three times do I pronounce thy name. O Isis, who givest birth to serpents, crocodiles, and ostriches, may thy name be thrice praised. O Isis, who preservest grains of wheat from robber whirlwinds, and the bodies of our fathers from the destructive toil of time, Isis, take pity on my son and preserve him! Thrice be thy name repeated and here and there and beyond, today and forever, and for the ages of ages, as long as the temples of our gods shall gaze on themselves in the waters of the Nile."
Thus praying and sobbing, the queen bowed down and touched the pavement with her forehead. Above her at that moment a low whisper was audible,
"The voice of the just is heard always."
The worthy lady sprang up, and full of astonishment looked around. But there was no one in the chamber. Only the painted flowers gazed at her from the walls, and from above the altar the statue of the goddess full of super-terrestrial calm.
CHAPTER VIII
The prince returned to his villa full of care, and summoned Tutmosis.
"Thou must," said Ramses, "teach me how to find money."
"Ha!" laughed the exquisite; "that is a kind of wisdom not taught in the highest school of the priests, but wisdom in which I might be a prophet."
"In those schools they explain that a man should not borrow money," said Ramses.