“The other brother,—the concubine’s son,—honored her too—and though selfish and crafty by nature he seemed—and seems to this day—her true and faithful friend.
“This Princess is the story of thy life, until this hour as it is written in the sacred chronicle of our most holy order.”
As Zelas has thus spoken our Princess has drawn nearer, and nearer to his side.
His quiet unmoved voice, has fallen like a benediction of peace upon her troubled heart. Hope is springing anew within her breast, and now that he has ceased, they are looking into each other’s eyes, she kneels at his feet.
“Holy father,” she says. “I come to thee, in this my hour of need for council and guidance. Listen my lord! Standing beside the form of my departing father, I took solemn oath to Osirus to wed Tothmes the Second, to be Egypt’s Queen.
“My Lord, it is said, that the great Osirus, has given to you, the power to read the innermost thoughts of men. If this be true—small need, to tell you that the girl kneeling at your feet would joyfully lay down her young life, and enter the body of the most degraded thing that walks or crawls. Aye that she would rather abide in any evil form, through every hour of the next three thousand years! than endure one fleeting day, of such life as the coming Queenship implies.
“My lord, I will speak to you, that which I dare scarce breathe to my own soul. I know what it is to love. He, who is dearer to me than aught else in time, or endless eternity hath not a dream, that this is so; but, love like mine, is satisfied with the giving, it asks no more, than just to love silently on, to live a lonely empty life made fragrant by purity, and sanctified by prayer. Let me, I pray thee, my Lord, be committed to some sisterhood. With thy mighty power save me from the awful doom that Queenship with my brother Tothmes means.”
Miriam stops, she leans forward, and sways as though about to fall. “I can see no more,” she says slowly, “a mist has arisen, my eyes, can not pierce it. I pray thee, let me rest.”
Alric, white to the lips, made with precision, a series of passes, before the fixed glassy eyes. His strong breast heaved, the muscles of his brawny arms stood out, and drops of sweat beaded his brow. With a deep sigh, the lips of the girl began to move, and she said: “I see the lips of the high priest quiver, there are tears in his God-like eyes, and he has laid two trembling hands upon Hatsu’s head.
“‘My sister’s child,’ he is saying, ‘gather my words and garner them deep in your heart, for you alone I live, for you—if need be—I die.’