they knew whether their offers had been accepted.

When he returned--as he knew only too well--Pharaoh had had him watched
like a prisoner and would not suffer him to leave his presence until he
had sworn to again lead his troops and be a faithful servant to the king.
Bai, the new chief priest, however, had not forgotten that Hosea had
saved his life and showed himself well disposed and grateful to him; she
knew also that he hoped to involve him in a secret enterprise, with which
her father, too, was associated. It was Bai who had prevailed upon
Pharaoh, if Hosea would renew his oath of fealty, to absolve him from
fighting against his own race, put him in command of the foreign
mercenaries and raise him to the rank of a "friend of the king." All
these events, of course, were familiar to him; for the new chief priest
had himself set before him the tempting dishes which, with such strong,
manly defiance, he had thrust aside.

Her father had also sided with him, and for the first time ceased to
reproach him with his origin.

But, on the third day after Hosea's return, Hornecht had gone to talk
with him and since then everything had changed for the worse. He must be
best aware what had caused the man of whom she, his daughter, must think
no evil, to be changed from a friend to a mortal foe.

She had looked enquiringly at him as she spoke, and he did not refuse to
answer--Hornecht had told him that he would be a welcome son-in-law.

"And you?" asked Kasana, gazing anxiously into his face.

"I," replied the prisoner, "was forced to say that though you had been