Thereonsheunclaspedthebosomofherrobeandlaidthegleamingtoy，thatseemedasnakeofstone，uponherivorybreast，thoughshetrembledatitsicytouch，foritwasmorecoldthandeath。Withbothherhandssheclaspedapillarofthechamber，andsostood，andshewasshakenwiththroeslikethepangsofchildbirth。Thussheenduredawhiletillthatwhichwasa-coldgrewwarm，watchingitsbrightnessthatshonethroughhersilkendressastheflameofalampshinesthroughanalabastervase。Soshestoodforanhour，thenswiftlyputoffallherrobesandornamentsofgold，andloosingthedarkmassesofherhairletitfallroundherlikeaveil。Nowshebentherheaddowntoherbreast，andbreathedonthatwhichlayuponherbreast，fortheAncientEvilcanliveonlyinthebreathofhumankind。Thriceshebreatheduponit，thriceshewhispered，“/Awake！Awake！Awake！/“
AndthefirsttimethatshebreathedtheThingstirredandsparkled。
Thesecondtimethatshebreatheditundiditsshiningfoldsandreareditsheadtohers。Thethirdtimethatshebreatheditslidfromherbosomtothefloor，thencoileditselfaboutherfeetandslowlygrewasgrowsthemagician’smagictree。
Greateritgrewandgreateryet，andasitgrewitshonelikeatorchinatomb，andwounditselfaboutthebodyofMeriamun，wrappingherinitsfieryfoldstillitreachedhermiddle。Thenitreareditsheadonhigh，andfromitseyesthereflowedalightlikethelightofaflame，andlo！itsfacewasthefaceofafairwoman——itwasthefaceofMeriamun！
Nowfacelookedonface，andeyesglaredintoeyes。StillasawhitestatueoftheGodsstoodMeriamuntheQueen，andallaboutherformandinandoutofherdarkhairtwinedtheflamingsnake。
AtlengththeEvilspoke——spokewithahumanvoice，withthevoiceofMeriamun，butinthedeadspeechofadeadpeople:
“Tellmemyname，“itsaid。
“/Sin/isthyname，“answeredMeriamuntheQueen。
“TellmewhenceIcome，“itsaidagain。
“Fromtheevilthatisinme，“answeredMeriamun。
“TellmewhitherIgo。“
“WhereIgotherethougoest，forIhavewarmedtheeinmybreastandthouarttwinedaboutmyheart。“
ThentheSnakeliftedupitshumanheadandlaughedhorribly。
“Wellartthouinstructed，“itsaid。“SoIlovetheeasthoulovestme，“anditbentitselfandkissedheronthelips。“IamthatAncientEvil，thatLifewhichenduresoutofthefirstdeath；IamthatDeathwhichabidesinthelivinglife。IamthatwhichbroughtontheethewoethatisindivisionfromtheHeart’sDesire，andthenamethereofis/Hell/。FromLifetoLifethouhastfoundmeatthyhand，nowinthisshape，nowinthat。Itaughttheethemagicwhichthouknowest；I
showedtheehowtowintheThrone！Now，whatwiltthouofme，Meriamun，myMother，mySister，andmyChild？FromLifetoLifeIhavebeenwiththee:everthoumightesthaveputmefromthee，everthoufliesttothewisdomwhichIhave，andeverfromtheeIdrawmystrength，forthoughwithoutmethoumightestlive，withouttheeI
mustdie。Saynow，whatisit？——tellme，andIwillnamemyprice。NomorewillIaskthanmustbe，for——ah！——Iamgladtowakeandliveagain；gladtogripthysoulwithintheseshiningfolds，tobefairwiththybeauty！——tobefoulwiththysin！“
“Laythylipsagainstmyearandthineearagainstmylips，“saidMeriamuntheQueen，“andIwillsaywhatitisthatIwillofthee，thouAncientEvil。“
Sothehuman-headedEvillaiditsearagainstthelipsofMeriamun，andMeriamunlaidherlipsagainstitsear，andtheywhisperedeachtoeach。Thereinthedarknesstheywhispered，whilethewitch-lightglittereddownthegreysnake’sshiningfolds，beamedinitseyes，andshonethroughtheQueen’sdarkhairandonhersnowybreast。
Atlengththetalewastold，andtheSnakelifteditswoman’sheadhighintheairandagainitlaughed。
“HeseekstheGood，“itsaid，“andheshallfindtheIll！HelooksforLight，andinDarknessshallhewander！ToLoveheturns，inLustheshallbelost！HewouldwintheGoldenHelen，whomhehassoughtthroughmanyaway，whomhehasfollowedo’ermanyasea，butfirstshallhefindthee，Meriamun，andthroughtheeDeath！ForheshallswearbytheSnakewhoshouldhaveswornbytheStar。Farhathhewandered——furthershallhewanderyet，forthysinshallbehissin！
DarknessshallwearthefaceofLight——EvilshallshinelikeGood。I
willgivehimtothee，Meriamun，but，hearkentomyprice。NomoremustIbelaidcoldinthegloomwhilethouwalkestinthesunshine——
nay，Imustbetwinedaboutthybody。Fearnot，fearnot，Ishallseembutajewelintheeyesofmen，agirdlefashionedcunninglyforthebodyofaqueen。ButwiththeehenceforthImustevergo——andwhenthoudiest，withtheemustIdie，andwiththeepasswherethoudostpass——withtheetosleep，withtheetoawakeagain——andso，onandon，tillintheendIwinorthouwinnest，orshewinswhoisourfoe！“
“Igivetheethyprice，“saidMeriamuntheQueen。
“Sooncebeforethoudidstgiveit，“answeredtheEvil；“ay，far，faraway，beneathagoldenskyandinanotherclime。Happywastthouthenwithhimthoudostdesire，butItwinedmyselfaboutthyheartandoftwaincamethreeandallthesorrowthathasbeen。Sowomanthouhastworked，sowomanitisordained。Forthouartsheinwhomallwoesaregathered，inwhomallloveisfulfilled。AndIhavedraggedthyglorydown，woman，andIhaveloosedtheefromthygentleness，andsetitfreeupontheearth，andBeautyisshenamed。Bybeautydoth/she/
workwhoistheGoldenHelen，andforherbeauty’ssake，thatallmenstrivetowin，arewarsandwoes，arehopesandprayers，andlongingswithoutend。ButbyEvildost/thou/workwhoartdivorcedfromInnocence，andevilshaltthoueverbringonhimwhomthoudesireth。A
riddle！Ariddle！Readitwhomay——readitifthoucanst，thouwhoartnamedMeriamuntheQueen，butwhoartlessthanQueenandmore。Whoartthou？WhoisshetheynamedtheHelen？WhoisthatWandererwhoseeksherfromafar，andwho，whoam/I/？Ariddle！ariddle！thatthoumaystnotread。Yetistheanswerwrittenonearthandskyandsea，andintheheartsofmen。
“Nowhearken！To-morrownightthoushalttakemeandtwinemeaboutthybody，doingasIbidthee，andbehold！forawhilethyshapeshallweartheshapeoftheGoldenHelen，andthyfaceshallbeasherface，andthineeyesashereyes，andthyvoiceashervoice。ThenIleavetheresttothee，forasHelen’sselfthoushaltbeguiletheWanderer，andonce，ifonceonly，beawifetohimwhomthoudesireth。NaughtcanItelltheeofthefuture，Iwhoambutacounsellor，buthereafteritmaybethatwoeswillcome，woesandwarsanddeath。Butwhatmatterthesewhenthouhasthadthydesire，whenhehathsinned，andhathswornbytheSnakewhoshouldhaveswornbytheStar，andwhenheisboundtotheebytiesthatmaynotbeloosed？Choose，Meriamun，choose！Putmycounselfromtheeandto-morrowthismanthoulovestshallbelosttothee，lostinthearmsofHelen；andaloneformanyyearsshaltthoubeartheburdenofthylonelylove。Takeit，andheshallatleastbethine，letcomewhatmaycome。Thinkonitandchoose！“
ThusspaketheAncientEvil，temptingherwhowasnamedMeriamun，whileshehearkenedtothetempting。
“Ihavechosen，“shesaid；“IwillweartheshapeofHelen，andbeawifetohimIlove，andthenletruinfall。Sleep，thouAncientEvil。
Sleep，fornomoremayIendurethyfaceoffearthatismyface，northelightofthoseflamingeyesthataremyeyesmademad。“
AgaintheThingreareditshumanheadandlaughedoutintriumph。Thenslowlyitunlooseditsgleamingcoils:slowlyitslidtotheearthandshrankandwitheredlikeaflamingscroll，tillatlengthitseemedoncemorebutashiningjewelofopalandofamethyst。
TheWanderer，whenhelefttheinnersecretshrine，sawnomoretheguardianofthegates，norheardtheclashoftheswordsunseen，fortheGodshadgiventhebeautyofHelentoOdysseusofIthaca，asitwasforetold。
Withoutthecurtainsthepriestsofthetempleweregatheredwondering——littlecouldtheyunderstandhowitcametopassthattheherowhowascalledEperitushadvanishedthroughthecurtainsandhadnotbeensmittendownbytheunseenswords。Andwhentheysawhimcomeforthgloriousandunharmedtheycriedaloudwithfear。
Buthelaughedandsaid，“Fearnot。VictoryistohimwhomtheGodsappoint。Ihavedonebattlewiththewardensoftheshrine，andpassedthem，andmethinksthattheyaregone。IhavelookedupontheHathoralso，andmorethanthatseekyenottoknow。Nowgivemefood，forI
amweary。“
Sotheybowedbeforehim，andleadinghimthencetotheirchamberofbanquetsgavehimoftheirbest，andwatchedhimwhileheateanddrankandputfromhimthedesireoffood。
Thenheroseandwentfromthetemple，andagainthepriestsbowedbeforehim。Moreover，theygavehimfreedomofthetemple，andkeyswherebyallthedoorsmightbeopened，thoughlittle，astheythought，hadheanyneedofkeys。
NowtheWanderer，walkinggladlyandlightofheart，cametohisownlodginginthecourtsofthePalace。AtthedoorofthelodgingstoodReithePriest，who，whenhesawhim，rantohimandembracedhim，sogladwashethattheWandererhadescapedalive。
“LittledidIthinktolookupontheeagain，Eperitus，“hesaid。“HaditnotbeenforthatwhichtheQueen——“andhebethoughthimselfandstayedhisspeech。
“Nevertheless，hereIamunhurt，ofghostormen，“theWandereranswered，laughing，ashepassedintothelodging。“ButwhatoftheQueen？“
“Naught，Eperitus，naught，savethatshewasgrievedwhenshelearnedthatthouhadstgoneuptotheTempleoftheHathor，there，asshethought，toperish。Hearken，thouEperitus，IknownotifthouartGodorman，butoathsarebindingbothmenandGods，andthoudidstswearanoathtoPharaoh——isitnotso？“
