第6章
“Indeed。Itrustthatthegoodgod，ourdivineparent，iswellto-nightasyouleavehimsoearly。“
“Ileavehimbecausehesentmewithamessagetoyou。“Shepaused，lookingatmesharply，thenasked，“Whoisthatman？Idonotknowhim。“
“Itisyourmisfortune，Userti，butonewhichcanbemended。HeisnamedAnatheScribe，whowritesstrangestoriesofgreatinterestwhichyouwoulddowelltoreadwhodwelltoomuchupontheoutsideoflife。HeisfromMemphisandhisfather’snamewas——Iforgetwhat。
Ana，whatwasyourfather’sname？“
“Onetoohumbleforroyalears，Prince，“Ianswered，“butmygrandfatherwasPentaurthepoetwhowroteofthedeedsofthemightyRameses。“
“Isitso？Whydidyounottellmethatbefore？ThedescentshouldearnyouapensionfromtheCourtifyoucanextractitfromNehesi。
Well，Userti，hisgrandfather’snamewasPentaurwhoseimmortalversesyouhavedoubtlessreadupontemplewalls，whereourgrandfatherwascarefultopublishthem。“
“Ihave——tomysorrow——andthoughtthempoor，boastfulstuff，“sheansweredcoldly。
“Tobehonest，ifAnawillforgiveme，sodoI。Icanassureyouthathisstoriesareagreatimprovementonthem。FriendAna，thisismysister，Userti，myfather’sdaughterthoughourmotherswerenotthesame。“
“Iprayyou，Seti，tobesogoodastogivememyrightfultitlesinspeakingofmetoscribesandotherofyourservants。“
“Yourpardon，Userti。This，Ana，isthefirstLadyofEgypt，theRoyalHeiress，thePrincessoftheTwoLands，theHigh-priestessofAmon，theCherishedoftheGods，thehalf-sisteroftheHeir-apparent，theDaughterofHathor，theLotusBloomofLove，theQueentobeof——
Userti，whosequeenwillyoube？Haveyoumadeupyourmind？FormyselfIknownooneworthyofsomuchbeauty，excellence，learningand——whatshallIadd——sweetness，yes，sweetness。“
“Seti，“shesaidstampingherfoot，“ifitpleasesyoutomakeamockofmebeforeastranger，IsupposethatImustsubmit。Sendhimaway，Iwouldspeakwithyou。“
“Makeamockofyou!Oh!mineisahardfate。Whentruthgushesfromthewellofmyheart，IamtoldImock，andwhenImock，allsay——hespeakstruth。Beseated，Sister，andtalkonfreely。ThisAnaismyswornfriendwhosavedmylifebutnow，forwhichdeedperhapsheshouldbemyenemy。Hismemoryisexcellentalsoandhewillrememberwhatyousayandwriteitdownafterwards，whereasImightforget。
Therefore，withyourleave，Iwillaskhimtostayhere。“
“MyPrince，“Ibrokein，“Iprayyousuffermetogo。“
“MySecretary，“heansweredwithanoteofcommandinhisvoice，“I
prayyoutoremainwhereyouare。“
SoIsatmyselfonthegroundafterthefashionofascribe，havingnochoice，andthePrincesssatherselfonacouchattheendofthetable，butSetiremainedstanding。ThenthePrincesssaid：
“Sinceitisyourwill，Brother，thatIshouldtalksecretsintootherearsthanyours，Iobeyyou。Still“——hereshelookedatmewrathfully——“letthetonguebecarefulthatitdoesnotrepeatwhattheearshaveheard，lestthereshouldbeneitherearsnortongue。MyBrother，ithasbeenreportedtoPharaoh，whileweatetogether，thatthereistumultinthistown。IthasbeenreportedtohimthatbecauseofatroubleaboutsomebaseIsraeliteyoucausedoneofhisofficerstobebeheaded，afterwhichtherecameariotwhichstillrages。“
“StrangethattruthshouldhavecometotheearsofPharaohsoquickly。Now，mySister，ifhehadhearditthreemoonshenceIcouldhavebelievedyou——almost。“
“Thenyoudidbeheadtheofficer？“
“Yes，Ibeheadedhimabouttwohoursago。“
“Pharaohwilldemandanaccountofthematter。“
“Pharaoh，“answeredSetiliftinghiseyes，“hasnopowertoquestionthejusticeoftheGovernorofTanisinthenorth。“
“Youareinerror，Seti。Pharaohhasallpower。“
“Nay，Sister，Pharaohisbutonemanamongmillionsofothermen，andthoughhespeaksitistheirspiritwhichbendshistongue，whileabovethatspiritisagreatgreaterspiritwhodecreeswhattheyshallthinktoendsofwhichweknownothing。“
“Idonotunderstand，Seti。“
“Ineverthoughtyouwould，Userti，butwhenyouhaveleisure，askAnaheretoexplainthemattertoyou。Iamsurethat/he/understands。“
“Oh!Ihaveborneenough，“exclaimedUsertirising。“HearkentothecommandofPharaoh，PrinceSeti。Itisthatyouwaituponhimto-morrowinfullcouncil，atanhourbeforenoon，theretotalkwithhimofthisquestionoftheIsraelitishslavesandtheofficerwhomithaspleasedyoutokill。Icametospeakotherwordstoyoualso，butastheywereforyourprivateear，thesecanbideamorefittingopportunity。Farewell，myBrother。“
“What，areyougoingsosoon，Sister？IwishedtotellyouthestoryaboutthoseIsraelites，andespeciallyofthemaidwhosenameis——whatwashername，Ana？“
“Merapi，MoonofIsrael，Prince，“Iaddedwithagroan。
“AboutthemaidcalledMerapi，MoonofIsrael，IthinkthesweetestthateverIhavelookedupon，whosefatherthedeadcaptainmurderedinmysight。“
“Sothereisawomaninthebusiness？Well，Iguessedit。“
“Inwhatbusinessistherenotawoman，Userti，eveninthatofamessagefromPharaoh。Pambasa，Pambasa，escortthePrincessandsummonherservants，womeneveryoneofthem，unlessmysensesmockme。Good-
nighttoyou，OSisterandLadyoftheTwoLands，andforgiveme——thatcoronetofyoursissomewhatawry。“
AtlastshewasgoneandIrose，wipingmybrowwithacornerofmyrobe，andlookingatthePrincewhostoodbeforethefirelaughingsoftly。
“Makeanoteofallthistalk，Ana，“hesaid；“thereismoreinitthanmeetstheear。“
“Ineednonote，Prince，“Ianswered；“everywordisburntuponmymindasahotironburnsatabletofwood。Withreasontoo，sincenowherHighnesswillhatemeforallherlife。“
“Muchbetterso，Ana，thanthatsheshouldpretendtoloveyou，whichsheneverwouldhavedonewhileyouaremyfriend。Womenoftimesrespectthosewhomtheyhateandevenwilladvancethembecauseofpolicy，butletthosewhomtheypretendtolovebeware。ThetimemaycomewhenyouwillyetbeUserti’smosttrustedcouncillor。“
NowhereI，AnatheScribe，willstatethatinafterdays，whenthissamequeenwasthewifeofPharaohSaptah，Idid，asitchanced，becomehermosttrustedcouncillor。Moreover，inthosetimes，yes，andeveninthehourofherdeath，shesworefromthemomenthereyesfirstfellonmeshehadknownmetobetrue-heartedandheldmeinesteemasnoself-seeker。More，Ithinkshebelievedwhatshesaid，havingforgottenthatonceshelookeduponmeasherenemy。ThisindeedIneverwas，whoalwaysheldherinhighregardandhonourasagreatladywholovedhercountry，thoughonewhosometimeswasnotwise。ButasIcouldnotforeseethesethingsonthatnightoflongago，IonlystaredatthePrinceandsaid：
“Oh!whydidyounotallowmetodepartasyourHighnesssaidImightatthebeginning？Soonorlatemyheadwillpaythepriceofthisnight’swork。“
“Thenshemusttakeminewithit。Listen，Ana。Ikeptyouhere，nottovexthePrincessoryou，butforagoodreason。YouknowthatitisthecustomoftheroyaldynastiesofEgyptforkings，orthosewhowillbekings，towedtheirnearkininorderthatthebloodmayremainthepurer。“
“Yes，Prince，andnotonlyamongthosewhoareroyal。Still，Ithinkitanevilcustom。“
“AsIdo，sincetheracewhereinitispractisedgrowseverweakerinbodyandinmind；whichiswhy，perhaps，myfatherisnotwhathisfatherwasandIamnotwhatmyfatheris。“
“Also，Prince，itishardtomingletheloveofthesisterandofthewife。“
“Veryhard，Ana；sohardthatwhenitisattemptedbothareapttovanish。Well，ourmothershavingbeentrueroyalwives，thoughhersdiedbeforeminewasweddedbymyfather，PharaohdesiresthatI
shouldmarrymyhalf-sister，Userti，andwhatisworse，shedesiresitalso。Moreover，thepeople，whofeartroubleaheadinEgyptifwe，whoaloneareleftofthetrueroyalracebornofqueens，remainapartandshetakesanotherlord，orItakeanotherwife，demandthatitshouldbebroughtabout，sincetheybelievethatwhoevercallsUsertitheStronghisspousewillonedayruletheland。“
“WhydoesthePrincesswishit——thatshemaybeaqueen？“
“Yes，Ana，thoughwereshetowedmycousin，Amenmeses，thesonofPharaoh’selderbrotherKhaemuas，shemightstillbeaqueen，ifI
chosetostandasideasIwouldnotbelothtodo。“
“WouldEgyptsufferthis，Prince？“
“Idonotknow，nordoesitmattersinceshehatesAmenmeses，whoisstrong-willedandambitious，andwillhavenoneofhim。Alsoheisalreadymarried。“
“Istherenootherroyalonewhomshemighttake，Prince？“
“None。Moreovershewishesmealone。“
“Why，Prince？“