East and West Author:Edwin Arnold Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: but it availed not because their stories did not satisfy; until Set- nau, hearing of the device, and well comprehending it, resolved to outwit the King, and to e... more »mbrace the Princess. To this end he took with him, under his mantle, the newly severed arm of a dead man, and went to the house of her who was called Nub-Khesdeb, and had admittance. For, first of all, the Princess perceived upon his garments the smell of that fragrance stolen from the treasure- chamber, the like of which was not in all Egypt except in the tiring-rooms of the Queens and the Princesses. And next the man spake, saying, "Kiss me, and I will afterwards relate to thee the wickedest deed ever done, to wit, when I cut off my brother's head within the Papyrus Cyperus" Of The Nile. King's treasury; and alsothe most subtle thing, to wit, when I caused the soldiers on the wall to become drunk with wine, and took away my brother's body for burial." Thereupon the Princess in the dark, well-assured that this was the one she sought, made quickly to lay fast hold of him, and to call succour; but he passing the dead man's arm between her hands, with that deceived her, and so made good his flight through the door. When this last doing was reported to Rhamp- sinit, he was astonished at the shrewdness and boldness of the thief. He therefore swore an oath by the life of Osiris, that there should be a free pardon for him and his, and great rewards, and that the Princess Amitsi herself should be given to him in marriage, along with a dower of lands and cattle and slaves, if he would reveal himself, and be true man of the State and faithful. Which oath the heralds proclaimed in all the cities and towns and villages, and the news coming quickly to the ears of Setnau, he resolved to cast himself upon the clemency of Pharaoh, and...« less