eyes and arms outstretched to Heaven. Suddenly Asti saw her also, though
but dimly for she stood in the dense shadow, and knew her not.

"Advance, O thou Ghost, and declare thyself, for never was thy help more
needed," she said.

"It is no ghost, but I," said Tua. "What dealings are these that you
have with ghosts at this deadest hour of the night, Asti? Do not enough
terrors encompass us that you must needs call on your familiar spirits
to add to them?"

"I call on the spirits to save us from them, Queen, for, like you, I
think that we are set in the midst of perils. This night is full of
sorcery; I scent it in the air, and strive to match spell with spell.
But why do you not sleep?"

"I cannot, Asti, I cannot. Fear has got hold of me. Oh! I would that we
had never come to this hateful Memphis, or set eyes upon its ill-omened
lord, that foul brute who seeks to make a wife of me."

"Be not afraid, Lady," said Asti, throwing her arms about Tua's slight
and quivering form. "To-morrow morning we march; I have it from Pharaoh,
and already the guard make preparations, while as for the accursed Abi,
he is in prison."

"There is no prison that will hold him, Asti, save the grave. Oh! why
did not my Father command him to be slain, as I would have done? Then,
at least, we should be free of him, and he could never marry me."

"Because it was otherwise decreed, O Neter-Tua, and Pharaoh must fulfil