"Father, what brings thee here?" she whispered.
"A grave cause, my child. Naught escapes my eye. I know thy heart. I know that Radames loves thee and that thou art here to meet him;--also that thou art in the grasp of this Princess, who hates thee."
"Alas, there is no hope," she cried, despairingly.
"That shall be as you may decide, daughter. Our people are waiting for a signal to strike a blow at these Egyptians. Our backbone is not yet broken. All that is needful for our success is to know by what road our enemies will march in their next sortie upon us. That is for thee to find out for us. Radames alone knows--and Radames loves thee," he finished significantly.
"But since he loves me, how can I betray him, father?" she asked.
"Choose--between thy father and the man who is to marry Amneris.--Or--" with a new thought he hesitated a moment--"or why should Radames not leave these cold people for a fairer place and kinder? Why should he not become one of us?" Aïda stared at her father in amazement.
"Why not? Since he loves thee, shall not thy people become his people, even as thou wouldst have made his people thine, hadst thou been wedding him. Choose between us, child."
Amonasro looked at her menacingly. "Unless thou doest this, it means the destruction of thy people and of me; and, too, thou must live and die the hated bond-maiden of this cruel woman Radames is about to marry."
"Radames is coming," she whispered in affright. "What shall I do?"
"Thy duty to me and to thy people and to thyself. Make Radames join us. I shall wait near thee." So saying, he stepped within the shadow of the trees as Radames approached.
"Art thou there, Aïda?" Radames called softly.
"Alas, why should I meet thee," she sobbed, "since thou wilt marry Amneris to-morrow?"
"Aïda, I have come to tell thee there is hope," Radames whispered, trembling with happiness. "The Ethiopians have again risen against us. I am immediately to go forth to battle. I shall crush them this time, and on my return the King will once more be generous to me, and I shall demand then, that for my reward he free me from Amneris and give me thee for my wife. When I have twice saved his kingdom, he cannot refuse me."
"But do you not see that though the King should favour us, yet Amneris's rage would be beyond all bounds?"