polished insult, but when the evil in him
would have expressed itself in its own brutal manner he was helpless.

"Hotep--Hotep--" he snarled.

The name was potent. Again she recoiled.

"I shall yield him up to Rameses," he went on.

"And in that very hour thou dost, in that same hour will I charge thee
with treason before the throne of Meneptah!" she returned recklessly.

The pair gazed at each other, breathless with temper.

"Wilt thou wed Rameses?" he demanded.

"So thou wilt avoid the name of Hotep in the presence of Rameses and
wilt shield him as if his safety were to bring thee gain," she replied,
thrusting skilfully, "I will wed the prince in one year. Furthermore,
in that time I shall be free to go where and when I please, to dwell
where I please and to be vexed with the sight of thee or that royal
monster no more than is my desire. Say, wilt thou accept?"

He had twitted her about her frank face. He could not tell now but
that she was fearless and had measured her strength. He did not know
that within she trembled and felt that her threats were empty. But,
being guilty in his soul, and facing righteousness, Har-hat succumbed.

"Have it thy way, then, vixen," he exclaimed; "but remember, I hold a
heavy hand above thy head and Hotep's!"

He strode out of her presence, and when she was sure he was gone, she
fell on her face and wept miserably.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE HEIR INTERVENES

At Tanis, the next day after the arrival of Meneptah, there came a
messenger from Thebes to Hotep, and the royal scribe retired to his
apartments to read the letter.

And after he had read he was glad that he had secluded himself, for his
demonstrations of relief at the news the message imparted were most
extravagant and unrestrained. For the moment he permitted no reminder
of Kenkenes' present plight to subdue his joy in the realization that
his friend was not dead.

Having exulted, he read the letter again, and then he summoned all his
shrewdness to his aid.

He would wait till the confusion of the court's settling itself had
subsided before he presented the petition to Meneptah. Furthermore, he
would relieve his underlings and write the king's communications with
his own hand till he knew that the reply to Kenkenes had been sent.
Har-hat should be watched vigilantly.

But order and routine were not restored in the palace of Meneptah. The
unrest that precedes a national crisis had developed into irrita