Part 4 (1/2)

Moreover, he could hear all sorts of strange sounds, faint and far-away sounds which at first he thought rew sure that their origin was alleries were cracking audibly, as is the unpleasant habit of such things at night

Yet why should these coely? Really, it see all about hireat funeral boat beneath which he lay had become re-peopled with the crew that once it bore

He heard thes and a sound as though so laid on the deck, such, for instance, as must have been made when the mummy of Pharaoh was set there for its last journey to the western bank of the Nile Yes, and now he could have sworn again that the priestly creere getting out the oars

Shbourhood of that place when so occurred which deterrowing light, but not, as at first he hoped, with the rays of dawn This light was pale and ghostly, though very penetrating

Also it had a blue tinge, unlike any other he had ever seen At first it arose in a kind of fan or fountain at the far end of the hall, illu the steps there and the two noble colossi which sat above

But as this that stood at the head of the steps, radiating glory?

By heavens! it was Osiris hiyptian saviour of the world!

There he stood, in hisin his hands, which projected froe of power Was he alive, or was he dead? Smith could not tell, since he never nant face staring into nothingness

Smith became aware that the darkness between hiregation was gathering, or had gathered there The blue light began to grow; long tongues of it shot forward, which joined thee hall

Now, too, he saw the congregation Before hiypt As though at a given signal, they bowed the of their ornaone But in his place stood another, Isis, the Mother of Mystery, her deep eyes looking forth froation bowed, and, lo! she was gone But in her place stood yet another, a radiant, lovely being, who held in her hand the Sign of Life, and wore upon her head the sy disc--Hathor, Goddess of Love A third tione; nor did any other appear in her place

The Pharaohs and their queens began to move about and speak to each other; their voices came to his ears in one loeet otten fear Fro-place he watched them intently Some of the-necked Khu-en-aten, talking sorily to the imperial Rameses II Smith could understand what he said, for this power seeh, weak voice that on this, the one night of the year when they es of the Gods ere put up for them to worshi+p, should not include _his_ God, symbolized by the ”Aten,” or the sun's disc

”I have heard of your Majesty's God,” replied Rameses; ”the priests used to tellafter your Majesty flew to heaven The Fathers of Aave you a bad name; they called you 'the heretic' and hammered out your cartouches They were quite rare in ry! So randson, Seti, there”--and he pointed to a htful-faced man--”for example I am told that he really worshi+pped the God of those Hebrew slaves whom I used to press to build my cities

Look at that lady with hie, violet eyes! Well, she was the one who did the mischief, a Hebrew herself At least, they tell me so”

”I will talk with him,” answered Khu-en-aten ”It is ree on certain points Meanwhile, let me explain to your Majesty----”

”Oh, I pray you, not now There ishimself up ”Which wife? I ae faht Now, I--but let me introduce Nefertiti to your Majesty I may explain that she was my _only_ wife”

”So I have understood Your Majesty was rather an invalid, were you not?

Of course, in those circumstances, one prefers the nurse whom one can trust Oh, pray, no offence! Nefertari, one to speak to some of her children--let me introduce you to your predecessor, the Queen Nefertiti, wife of Aed his name, you know, because half of it was that of the father of the Gods) She is interested in the question of plural randfather, Rameses I He was fond of me as a little boy”

At this moment Smith's interest in that queer conversation died away, for of a sudden he beheld none other than the queen of his dreams, Ma-Mee Oh! there she stood, without a doubt, only ten times more beautiful than he had ever pictured her She was tall and somewhat fair-coleamed the mystic smile he loved She wore a robe of siolden _uraei_ with turquoise eyes was set upon her dark hair as in her statue, and on her breast and arms were the very necklace and bracelets that he had taken from her tohtful, for she leaned by herself against a balustrade, watching the throng without orous reet your Majesty,” he said

She started, and answered: ”Oh, it is you! I make my obeisance to your Majesty,” and she curtsied to hiestion of mockery in her movements

”Well, you do not seem to have been very anxious to findthat we ed with my sister queens,” she interrupted, in a rich, low voice, ”and with soallery there, whose faces I seem to remember, but who I think were _not_ queens Unless, indeed, you married them after I was draay”

”One must talk to one's relations,” replied the Pharaoh

”Quite so But, you see, I have no relations--at least, none whom I knoell My parents, you will reypt's heiress, and they are still vexed at the e which I ? I have lost one of s, that which had the God Bes on it So it to-day, and that is why I cannot get it back from hiin”