First I command thee, by the word of dread and by the link of life and
death, declare unto me if here upon the earth and in this life I shall
possess him whom I shall love?'

"'In sin and craft and sorrow, Meriamun, thou shalt possess him; in
shame and jealous agony he shall be taken from thee by one who is
stronger than thou, though thou art strong; by one more beautiful than
thou, though thou art beautiful; and ruin thou shalt give him for his
guerdon, and ruin of the heart shalt thou harvest for thy portion. But
for this time she shall escape thee, whose footsteps march with thine,
and with his who shall be thine and hers. Nevertheless, in a day to come
thou shalt pay her back measure for measure, and evil for evil. I have
spoken. Let me hence.'

"'Not yet, O Khou--not yet. I have still to learn. Show me the face of
her who is mine enemy, and the face of him who is my love.'

"'Thrice mayest thou speak to me, O thou greatly daring,' answered the
dread Khou, 'and thrice I may make reply, and then farewell till I meet
thee on the threshold of the hall whence thou hast drawn me. Look now on
the face of that Hataska whom thou slewest.'

"And we looked, and behold the face of dead Hataska changed, and changed
the face of the Double, the _Ka_ that stood on one side, and the face
of the great bird, the _Bai_, that spread his wings about the head of
Osiris. And they grew beautiful, yes, most exceeding beautiful so that
it cannot be told, and the beauty was that of a woman asleep. Then lo,
there hung above Hataska, as it were, the shadow of one who was watching
her sleeping. And his face we saw not, O thou Wanderer, it was hidden by
the visor of a golden two-horned helm, and in that helm stood fast _the