"Yes," she said, "it is his without a doubt.Behold what remaineth of Noot and the wisdom of Nootone little tooth! And yet that man had all life at his command, and for his conscience sake would have none of it.Well, he lay there newly dead, and we descended whither I shall lead you, and then, gathering up all my courage, and courting death that I might perchance win so glorious a crown of life, I stepped into the flames, and behold! life such as ye can never know until ye feel it also, flowed into me, and I came forth undying, and lovely beyond imagining.Then did Istretch out mine arms to thee, Kallikrates, and bid thee take thine immortal bride, and behold, as Ispoke, thou, blinded by my beauty, didst turn from me and throw thine arms about the neck of Amenartas.And then a great fury filled me, and made me mad, and Iseized the javelin that thou didst bear, and stabbed thee, so that there, at my very feet, in the Place of Life, thou didst groan and go down into death.I knew not then that I had strength to slay with mine eyes and by the power of my will, therefore in my madness slew I with the javelin.
"And when thou wast dead, ah! I wept, because I was undying and thou wast dead.I wept there in the Place of Life, so that had I been mortal any more my heart had surely broken.And she, the swart Egyptianshe cursed me by her gods.By Osiris did she curse me, and by Isis, by Nephthys and by Hekt, by Sekhet, the lion-headed, and by Set, calling down evil on me, evil and everlasting desolation.Ah! I can see her dark face now lowering o'er me like a storm, but she could not hurt me, and II know not if I could hurt her.I did not try; it was naught to me then; so together we bore thee hence.And afterwards I sent herthe Egyptianaway through the swamps, and it seems that she lived to bear a son and to write the tale that should lead thee, her husband, back to me, her rival and thy murderess.