His guardian, his dead father's brother, in whose household he had grown up, had died not long before, and no new guardian had been named because the lad was now past childhood.

He was destined at some future day to be one of the chiefs of his proud tribe and until yesterday he had desired no better fate.
He had obeyed the impulse of his heart when, with the pride of a shepherd prince, he had refused the priest's suggestion that he should become one of Pharaoh's soldiers, but he now told himself that he had been childish and foolish to reject a thing of which he was ignorant, nay, which had ever been intentionally represented to him in a false and hateful light in order to bind him more firmly to his own people.
The Egyptians had always been described as detestable enemies and oppressors, yet how enchanting everything seemed in the house of the first Egyptian warrior he had entered.
And Kasana! What must she think of him, if he left Tanis without a word of greeting, of farewell.

Must it not grieve and wound him to remain in her memory a clumsy peasant shepherd?
Nay, it would be positively dishonest not to return the costly raiment she had lent him.

Gratitude was reckoned among the Hebrews also as the first duty of noble hearts.

He would be worthy of hate his whole life long, if he did not seek her once more! But there was need of haste.