Shethoughtforonemoment，andthenshesaid:
“Yes，Iwillplaythee，myLord，butmyhandhaslostitscunning，anditmaywellbethatMeriamunshallloseagain，asshehaslostall。
LetmesetthePieces，andbringwineformylord。“
ShesetthePieces，andcrossingtheroom，sheliftedagreatcupofwine，andputitbyPharaoh’shand。Buthewassointentonthegamethathedidnotdrink。
Hetookthefield，hemoved，shereplied，andsothegamewentbetweenthem，inthedarkfragrantchamberwherethelampburned，andtheQueen’seyesshoneinthenight。Thiswayandthatwentthegame，tillshelost，andheswepttheboard。
Thenintriumphhedrainedthepoisonedcupofwine，andcried，“Pharaohisdead！“
“Pharaohisdead！“answeredMeriamun，gazingintohiseyes。
“Whatisthatlookinthineeyes，Meriamun，whatisthatlookinthineeyes？“
AndtheKinggrewpaleasthedead，forhehadseenthatlookbefore——
whenMeriamunslewHataska。
“Pharaohisdead！“sheshrilledinthetoneofwomenwhowailthedirges。“Pharaoh，greatPharaohisdead！Ereamanmaycountahundredthydaysarenumbered。Strange！butto-morrow，Meneptah，shaltthousitwhereHataskasat，deadonthekneesofDeath，anOsirianinthelapoftheOsiris。Die，Pharaoh，die！Butwhilethydiest，hearken。
ThereisoneIlove，theWandererwholeadsthyhosts。HisloveI
stolebyartsknowntome，andbecauseIstoleithewouldhaveshamedme，andIaccusedhimfalselyintheearsofmen。Buthecomesagain，and，sosureasthoushaltsitonthekneesofOsiris，sosurelyshallhesituponthythrone，Pharaoh。ForPharaohisdead！“
Heheard。Hegatheredhislaststrength。Heroseandstaggeredtowardsher，strikingattheair。Slowlyshedrewaway，whilehefollowedher，awfultosee。Atlengthhestoodstill，hethrewuphishands，andfelldead。
ThenMeriamundrewnearandlookedathimstrangely。
“BeholdtheendofPharaoh，“shesaid。“Thatthenwasaking，uponwhosebreaththelivesofpeopleshunglikeapoisedfeather。Well，lethimgo！Earthcansparehim，andDeathisbutthericherbyawearyfool。’Tisdone，andwelldone！Wouldthatto-morrow’staskwerealsodone——andthatHelenlayasPharaohlies。So——rinsethecup——andnowtosleep——ifsleepwillcome。Ah，wherehathsleepflownoflate？
To-morrowthey’llfindhimdead。Well，whatofit？Sodokingsofttimesdie。There，Iwillbegoing；neverwerehiseyessolargeandsounlovely！“
Nowthelightofmorninggatheredagainonallthetempletops，andmenrosefromsleeptogoabouttheirlabours。Meriamunwatcheditgrowasshelaysleeplessinhergoldenbed，waitingforthecrythatpresentlyshouldringalongthePalacewalls。Hark！Whatwasthat？Thesoundofswingingdoors，therushofrunningfeet。Andnowitcame——
longandshrillitrose。
“Pharaohisdead！Awake！Awake，yesleepers！Awake！awake！andlookuponthatwhichhascomeabout。Pharaohisdead！Pharaohisdead！“
ThenMeriamunarose，andfollowedbytheladies，rushedfromherchamber。
“Whodreamssoevilly？“shesaid。“Whodreamsandcriesaloudinhishauntedsleep？“
“OQueen，itisnodream，“saidone。“Passintotheante-chamberandsee。ThereliesPharaohdead，andwithnowounduponhimtotellthemannerofhisend。“
ThenMeriamuncriedaloudwithagreatcry，andthrewherhairaboutherface，whiletearsfellfromherdarkeyes。Shepassedintothechamber，andthere，fallenonhisbackandcold，layPharaohinhisroyalrobes。AwhiletheQueenlookeduponhimasonewhoisdumbwithgrief。Thenshelifteduphervoiceandcried:
“StillisthecurseheavyuponKhemandthepeopleofKhem。Pharaohliesdead；yea，heisdeadwhohasnowound，andthisIsay，thatheisslainofthewitchcraftofherwhommennametheHathor。Oh，myLord，myLord！“andkneeling，shelaidherhanduponhisbreast；“bythisdeadheartofthineIswearthatIwillwreakthymurderonherwhowroughtit。Lifthimup！Liftupthispoorclay，thatwasthefirstofkings。Clothehimintherobesofdeath，andsethimonthekneesofOsirisintheTempleofOsiris。Thengoforththroughthecityandcalloutthis，theQueen’scommand；callitfromstreettostreet。ThisistheQueen’scommand，that’everywomaninTaniswhohaslostson，orhusband，orbrother，orkinorlover，throughthewitchcraftoftheFalseHathor，orbytheplaguesthatshehathwroughtonKhem，orinthewarwiththeApura，whomshecausedtoflyfromKhem，domeetmeatsundownintheTempleofOsirisbeforethefaceoftheGodandofdeadPharaoh’sMajesty。’“
SotheytookMeneptahtheOsirian，andwrappinghimintherobesofdeath，borehimtothekneesofOsiris，whereheshouldsitadayandanight。AndthemessengersofMeriamunwentforthsummoningthewomenofthecitytomeetheratsunsetintheTempleofOsiris。Moreover，Meriamunsentoutslavesbytensandbytwentiestothenumberoftwothousand，biddingthemgatherupallthewoodthatwasinTanis，andalltheoilandthebitumen，andbundlesofreedsbyhundredssuchasareusedforthethatchingofhouses，andlaytheminpilesandstacksinacertaincourtyardneartheTempleofHathor。Thistheydid，andsothedayworeon，whilethewomenwailedaboutthestreetsbecauseofthedeathofPharaoh。
NowitchancedthatthecamelofReithePriestfelldownfromwearinessasitjourneyedswiftlybacktoTanis。ButReispedforwardonfoot，andcametothegatesofTanis，sorelywearied，towardstheeveningofthatday。Whenheheardthewailingofthewomen，heaskedofapasser-bywhatnewevilhadfallenuponKhem，andlearnedthedeathofPharaoh。ThenReiknewbywhosehandPharaohwasdead，andgrievedatheart，becauseshewhomhehadservedandloved——Meriamunthemoon-child——wasamurderess。AtfirsthewasmindedtogoupbeforetheQueenandputhertoanopenshame，andthentakehisdeathatherhands；butwhenheheardthatMeriamunhadsummonedallthewomenofTanistomeetherintheTempleofOsiris，hehadanotherthought。Hurryingtothatplacewherehehidinthecity，heateanddrank。Thenheputoffhisbeggar’srags，androbedhimselfafresh，andoveralldrewthegarmentofanagedcrone，forthiswastoldhim，thatnomanshouldbesufferedtoentertheTemple。Nowthedaywasdying，andalreadythewesternskywasred，andhehurriedforthandmingledwiththestreamofwomenwhopassedtowardstheTemplegates。
“WhothenslewPharaoh？“askedone；“andwhydoestheQueensummonustomeether？“
“PharaohisslainbythewitchcraftoftheFalseHathor，“answeredanother；“andtheQueensummonsusthatwemaytakecounselhowtoberidoftheHathor。“
“TellnotoftheaccursedHathor，“saidathird；“myhusbandandmybrotheraredeadatherhands，andmysondiedinthedeathofthefirst-bornthatshecalleddownonKhem。Ah，ifIcouldbutseeherrentlimbfromlimbIshouldseekOsirishappily。“
“Sometherebe，“quothafourth，“whosaythatnottheHathor，buttheGodsofthoseApurabroughtthewoesonKhem，andsomethatPharaohwasslainbytheQueen’sownhand，becauseoftheloveshebearstothatgreatWandererwhocamehereawhileago。“
“Thoufool，“answeredthefirst；“howcantheQueenloveonewhowouldhavewroughtoutrageonher？“
“Suchthingshavebeen，“saidthefourthwoman；“perchancehewroughtnooutrage，perchanceshebeguiledhimaswomenmay。Yes，yes，suchthingshavebeen。Iamold，andIhaveseensuchthings。“
“Yea，thouartold，“saidthefirst。“Thouhastnochild，nohusband，nofather，nolover，andnobrother。ThouhastlostnonewhoaredeartotheethroughthemagicoftheHathor。SpeakonemoresuchslanderontheQueen，andwewillfallupontheeandtearthylyingtonguefromitsroots。“
“Hush，“saidthesecondwoman，“herearetheTemplegates。ByIsisdidanyeverseesuchamultitudeofwomen，andneveramantocheerthem，adrearysight，indeed！Come，pushon，pushonorweshallfindnoplace。Yea，thousoldier——wearewomen，allwomen，havenofear。Noneedtobareourbreasts，lookatoureyesblindwithweepingoverthedead。Pushon！pushon！“
SotheypassedbytheguardsandintothegatesoftheTemple，andwiththemwentReiunheeded。Alreadyitwaswell-nighfilledwithwomen。Althoughthesunwasnotyetdead，torchesweresetabouttolightenthegloom，andbythemReisawthatthecurtainsbeforetheShrineweredrawn。PresentlytheTemplewasfulltooverflowing，thedoorswereshutandbarred，andavoicefrombehindtheveilcried:
“/Silence！/“
Thenallthemultitudeofwomenweresilent，andthelightofthetorchesflaredstrangelyupontheirshiftingupturnedfaces，asfiresflareoverthewhitesea-foam。NowthecurtainsoftheShrineofOsirisweredrawnasideslowly，andthelightthatburneduponthealtarstreamedoutbetweenthem。Itfellupontheforemostranksofwomen，itfelluponthepolishedstatueoftheOsiris。OnthekneesofOsirissatthebodyofPharaohMeneptah，hisheadrestingagainstthebreastoftheGod。PharaohwaswrappedaboutwithwindingclotheslikethemarblestatueoftheGod，andinhiscoldhandswereboundthecrook，thesceptre，andthescourge，asthecrook，thesceptre，andthescourgewereplacedinthehandsoftheeffigyoftheGod。AswasthestatueoftheGod，sowasthebodyofPharaohthatsatuponhisknees，andcoldandawfulwasthefaceofOsiris，andcoldandawfulwasthefaceofMeneptahtheOsirian。
Attheside，andsomewhatinfrontofthestatueoftheGod，athronewasplacedofblackestmarble，andonthethronesatMeriamuntheQueen。Shewasglorioustolookon。SheworetheroyalrobesofKhem，thedouble-crownofKhemfashionedofgold，andwreathedwiththeuraeussnakes，wassetuponherhead；inherhandwasthecrystalcrossofLife，andbetweenhermantle’spurplefoldsgleamedtheeyesofhersnakegirdle。Shesatawhileinsilencespeakingnoword，andallthewomenwonderedathergloryandatdeadPharaoh’sawfulness。
Thenatlengthshespoke，lowindeed，butsoclearlythateverywordreachedthelimitsoftheTemplehall。
