Masanath sat up very straight and leveled a pair of eyes shining with accusation at the prince.

“Of a truth, was thine the fiat?” she demanded.

“Even so, thou lovely magistrate,” he answered with an amused smile.  “Was it not a masterful one?”

Hotep delivered her a warning glance, but she did not heed it.  Austere Ma, the Defender of Truth, could have been as easily crushed.

“Masterful!” she cried.  “Nay!  Menes, lend me thy word.  Of all Set-given, pitiless, atrocious edicts, that is the cruelest!  Shame on thee!”

At her first words, Rameses raised himself from his attitude of languor into an upright and intensely alert position.  The company ceased to breathe, but Kenkenes heaved a soundless sigh of relief.  Masanath had uttered his denunciations for him.

Meanwhile the prince’s eyes began to sparkle, a rich stain grew in his cheeks and when she made an end he was the picture of animated delight.  For the first time in his life he had been defied and condemned.

But his gaze did not disturb Masanath.  Her eyes dared him to resent her censure.  The prince had no such purpose in mind.

“O by Besa! here is what I have sought for so long,” he exclaimed, at last.  “Hither! thou treasure, thou dear, defiant little shrew!  Thou art more to me than all the wealth of Pithom.  Hither, I tell thee!”

But she did not move.  The company was breathing with considerable relief by this time, but not a few of them were casting furtive glances at Ta-user.

“Hither!” Rameses commanded, stamping his foot.  “Nay, I had forgot she defies my power.  Behold, then, I come to thee.”

Masanath anticipated his intent, and rising with much dignity, she put the ivory throne between her and the prince.  Cool and self-possessed she gathered up her lotuses, as fresh after an evening in her hand as they were when the slaves gathered them from the Nile; found her fan and made other serene preparations to depart.  Rameses, fended from her by the chair, stood before her and watched with a smile in his eyes.

Presently he waved his hand to the other guests.

“Arise; the princess is going,” he commanded.

In the stir and rustle, laughter and talk of the guests, getting up at the prince’s sign—­for it was customary to permit the highest of rank to dismiss a company—­Masanath slipped from among them and attempted to leave unnoticed.  But Rameses was before her and had taken possession of her hand before she could elude him.  As Kenkenes passed them on his way to the door her soft shoulders were squared; she had drawn herself as far away from the prince as she might and was otherwise evincing her discomfort extravagantly.

Before them was Hotep, outwardly undisturbed, smiling and complacent. 
At one side was Ta-user, at the other Seti, and Io hung on Hotep’s arm.

The young artist walked past them hurriedly, moved to leave all the ferment and agitation behind him.  If he had thought to forget his sorrows among the light-hearted revel of those that did not sorrow, he misdirected his search.