第14章
ThePrincebeingsummonedcommandedthatthegirlandherkinshouldbeadmittedandstatetheircase。Shecame，weepingandwailingandtearinghergarments，throwingdustonherheadalso，thoughitappearedthatshehadtakennogreatharmfromthesoldierfromwhomsheranaway。ThePrincebadeherpointoutthemanifshecouldseehim，andsheshowedusoneofthebodyguardoftheCountAmenmeses，whosefacewasscratchedasthoughbyawoman’snails。Onbeingquestionedhesaidhecouldrememberlittleofthematter，butconfessedthathehadseenthemaidenbythecanalatmoonriseandjestedwithher。
Thekinofthisgirlclamouredthatheshouldbekilled，becausehehadofferedinsulttoahigh-bornladyofIsrael。ThisSetirefused，sayingthattheoffencewasnotoneofdeath，butthathewouldorderhimtobepubliclybeaten。ThereuponAmenmeses，whowasfondofthesoldier，agoodmanenoughwhennotinhiscups，sprangupinarage，sayingthatnoservantofhisshouldbetouchedbecausehehadofferedtocaresssomelightIsraelitishwomanwhohadnobusinesstobewanderingaboutaloneatnight。HeaddedthatifthemanwerefloggedheandallthoseunderhiscommandwouldleavethecampandmarchbacktomakereporttoPharaoh。
NowthePrince，havingconsultedwiththecouncillors，toldthewomanandherkinthatasPharaohhadbeenappealedto，hemustjudgeofthematter，andcommandedthemtoappearathiscourtwithinamonthandstatetheircaseagainstthesoldier。Theywentawayveryill-
satisfied，sayingthatAmenmeseshadinsultedtheirdaughterevenmorethanhisservanthaddone。Theendofthismatterwasthatonthefollowingnightthissoldierwasdiscovereddead，piercedthroughandthroughwithknifethrusts。Thegirl，herparentsandbrethrencouldnotbefound，havingfledawayintothedesert，norwasthereanyevidencetoshowbywhomthesoldierhadbeenmurdered。Thereforenothingcouldbedoneinthebusinessexceptburythevictim。
OnthefollowingmorningtheInquirybeganwithdueceremony，thePrinceSetiandtheCountAmenmesestakingtheirseatsattheheadofalargepavilionwiththecouncillorsbehindthemandthescribes，amongwhomIwas，seatedattheirfeet。ThenwelearnedthatthetwoprophetswhomIhadseenatPharaoh’scourtwerenotinthelandofGoshen，havingleftbeforewearrived“tosacrificetoGodinthewilderness，“nordidanyknowwhentheywouldreturn。Othereldersandpriests，however，appearedandbegantosetouttheircase，whichtheydidatgreatlengthandinafierceandturbulentfashion，speakingoftenallofthematonce，thusmakingitdifficultfortheinterpreterstorendertheirwords，sincetheypretendedthattheydidnotknowtheEgyptiantongue。
Moreovertheytoldtheirstoryfromtheverybeginning，whentheyhadenteredEgypthundredsofyearsbeforeandweresuccouredbythevizierofthePharaohofthatday，oneYusuf，apowerfulandclevermanoftheirracewhostoredcorninatimeoffamineandlowNiles。
ThisPharaohwasoftheHyksospeople，oneoftheShepherdkingswhomweEgyptianshatedandaftermanywarsdroveoutofKhem。UndertheseShepherdkings，beingjoinedbymanyoftheirownblood，theIsraelitesgrewrichandpowerful，sothatthePharaohswhocameafterandwholovedthemnot，begantofearthem。
Thiswasasfarasthestorywastakenonthefirstday。
Ontheseconddaybeganthetaleoftheiroppression，underwhich，however，theystillmultipliedlikegnatsupontheNile，andgrewsostrongandnumerousthatatlengththegreatRamesesdidawickedthing，orderingthattheirmalechildrenshouldbeputtodeath。Thisorderwasnevercarriedout，becausehisdaughter，shewhofoundMosesamongthereedsoftheriver，pleadedforthem。
AtthispointthePrince，weariedwiththenoiseandheatinthatcrowdedplace，brokeoffthesittinguntilthemorrow。Commandingmetoaccompanyhim，heorderedachariot，nothisown，tobemadeready，and，althoughIprayedhimnottodoso，setoutunguardedsaveformyselfandthecharioteer，sayingthathewouldseehowthesepeoplelabouredwithhisowneyes。
TakingaHebrewladtorunbeforethehorsesasourguide，wedrovetothebanksofacanalwheretheIsraelitesmadebricksofmudwhich，afterdryinginthesun，wereladenintoboatsthatwaitedforthemonthecanalandtakenawaytootherpartsofEgypttobeusedonPharaoh’sworks。Thousandsofmenwereengageduponthislabour，toilingingangsunderthecommandofEgyptianoverseerswhokeptcountofthebricks，cuttingtheirnumberupontallysticks，orsometimeswritingthemuponsherds。Theseoverseerswerebrutalfellows，forthemostpartofthelowclass，whousedvilelanguagetotheslaves。Norweretheycontentwithwords。Notingacrowdgatheredatoneplaceandhearingcries，wewenttoseewhatpassed。Herewefoundaladstretcheduponthegroundbeingcruellybeatenwithhidewhips，sothatthebloodrandownhim。AtasignfromthePrinceI
askedwhathehaddoneandwastoldroughly，fortheoverseersandtheirguardsdidnotknowwhowewere，thatduringthepastsixdayshehadonlymadehalfofhisallottedtaleofbricks。
“Loosehim，“saidthePrincequietly。
“Whoareyouthatgivemeorders？“askedtheheadoverseer，whowashelpingtoholdtheladwhiletheguardsfloggedhim。“Begone，lestI
serveyouasIservethisidlefellow。“
Setilookedathim，andashelookedhislipsturnedwhite。
“Tellhim，“hesaidtome。
“Youdog!“Igasped。“Doyouknowwhoitistowhomyoudaretospeakthus？“
“No，norcare。Layon，guard。“
ThePrince，whoserobeswerehiddenbyawide-sleevedcloakofcommonstuffandmake，threwthecloakopenrevealingbeneathitthepectoralhehadwornintheCourt，abeautifulthingofgoldwhereonwereinscribedhisroyalnamesandtitlesinblackandredenamel。AlsohehelduphisrighthandonwhichwasasignetofPharaoh’sthatheworeashiscommissioner。Themenstared，thenoneofthemwhowasmorelearnedthantherestcried：
“Bythegods!thisishisHighnessthePrinceofEgypt!“atwhichwordsallofthemfellupontheirfaces。
“Rise，“saidSetitotheladwholookedathim，forgettinghispaininhiswonderment，“andtellmewhyyouhavenotdeliveredyourtaleofbricks。“
“Sir，“sobbedtheboyinbadEgyptian，’fortworeasons。First，becauseIamacripple，see，“andhehelduphisleftarmwhichwaswitheredandthinasamummy’s，“andthereforecannotworkquickly。
Secondly，becausemymother，whoseonlychildIam，isawidowandliessickinbed，sothattherearenowomenorchildreninourhomewhocangoouttogatherstrawforme，asPharaohhascommandedthatweshoulddo。ThereforeImustspendmanyhoursinsearchingforstraw，sinceIhavenomeanswherewithtopayotherstodothisforme。“
“Ana，“saidthePrince，“writedownthisyouth’snamewiththeplaceofhisabode，andifhistaleprovetrue，seethathiswantsandthoseofhismotherarerelievedbeforewedepartfromGoshen。Writedownalsothenamesofthisoverseerandhisfellowsandcommandthemtoreportthemselvesatmycampto-morrowatsunrise，whentheircaseshallbeconsidered。Saytotheladalsothat，beingoneafflictedbythegods，PharaohfreeshimfromthemakingofbricksandallotherlabouroftheState。“
NowwhileIdidthesethingstheoverseerandhiscompanionsbeattheirheadsuponthegroundandprayedformercy，beingcowardsasthecruelalwaysare。HisHighnessansweredthemneveraword，butonlylookedatthemwithcoldeyes，andInotedthathisfacewhichwassokindhadgrownterrible。Sothosementhoughtalso，forthatnighttheyranawaytoSyria，leavingtheirfamiliesandalltheirgoodsbehindthem，norweretheyeverseenagaininEgypt。
WhenIhadfinishedwritingthePrinceturnedand，walkingtowherethechariotwaited，badethedrivercrossthecanalbyabridgetherewashere。Wedroveonawhileinsilence，followingatrackwhichranbetweenthecultivatedlandandthedesert。AtlengthIpointedtothesinkingsunandaskedifitwerenottimetoreturn。
“Why？“repliedthePrince。“Thesundies，butthererisesthefullmoontogiveuslight，andwhathavewetofearwithswordsatoursidesandherHighnessUserti’smailbeneathourrobes？Oh!Ana，Iamwearyofmenwiththeircrueltiesandshoutsandstrugglings，andI
findthiswildernessaplaceofrest，forinitIseemtodrawnearertomyownsoulandtheHeavenwhenceitcame，orsoIhope。“
“YourHighnessisfortunatetohaveasoultowhichhecarestodrawnear；itisnotsowithallofus“；Iansweredlaughing，forIsoughttochangethecurrentofhisthoughtsbyprovokingargumentofasortthatheloved。
Justthen，however，thehorses，whichwerenotofthebest，cametoahaltonaslopeofheavysand。NorwouldSetiallowthedrivertoflogthem，butcommandedhimtoletthemrestaspace。Whiletheydidsowedescendedfromthechariotandwalkedupthedesertrise，heleaningonmyarm。Aswereacheditscrestweheardsobsandasoftvoicespeakingonthefurtherside。Whoitwasthatspokeandsobbedwecouldnotsee，becauseofalineoftamariskshrubswhichoncehadbeenafence。
“Morecruelty，oratleastmoresorrow，“whisperedSeti。“Letuslook。“
Sowecrepttothetamarisks，andpeepingthroughtheirfeatherytops，sawaverysweetsightinthepureraysofthatdesertmoon。There，notfivepacesaway，stoodawomancladinwhite，youngandshapelyinform。Herfacewecouldnotseebecauseitwasturnedfromus，alsothelongdarkhairwhichstreamedabouthershouldershidit。Shewasprayingaloud，speakingnowinHebrew，ofwhichbothofusknewsomething，andnowinEgyptian，asdoesonewhoisaccustomedtothinkineithertongue，andstoppingfromtimetotimetosob。
“OGodofmypeople，“shesaid，“sendmesuccourandbringmesafehome，thatThychildmaynotbeleftaloneinthewildernesstobecomethepreyofwildbeasts，orofmenwhoareworsethanbeasts。“
Thenshesobbed，kneltdownonagreatbundlewhichIsawwasstubblestraw，andagainbegantopray。ThistimeitwasinEgyptian，asthoughshefearedlesttheHebrewshouldbeoverheardandunderstood。
“OGod，“shesaid，“OGodofmyfathers，helpmypoorheart，helpmypoorheart!“
Wewereabouttowithdraw，orrathertoaskherwhatsheailed，whensuddenlysheturnedherhead，sothatthelightfellfulluponherface。SolovelywasitthatIcaughtmybreathandthePrinceatmysidestarted。Indeeditwasmorethanlovely，forasalampshinesthroughanalabastervaseorashellofpearlsodidthespiritwithinthiswomanshinethroughhertear-stainedface，makingitmysteriousasthenight。ThenIunderstood，perhapsforthefirsttime，thatitisthespiritwhichgivestruebeautybothtomaidandmanandnottheflesh。Thewhitevaseofalabaster，howevershapely，isstillavasealone；itisthehiddenlampwithinthatgracesitwiththegloryofastar。Andthoseeyes，thoselarge，dreamingeyesaswimwithtearsandhuedlikerichestlapis-lazuli，oh!whatmancouldlookonthemandnotbestirred？