The violent scene wrought Masanath's already over-strained nerves to
the highest pitch of distress. The blood congealed in her veins and
her steps lagged, but Har-hat, for some purpose not apparent to any who
looked upon his daughter's anguish, drew her to the very side of the
couch. The leeches, who had been vainly seeking for some flicker of
life, stepped aside and the eyes of the cowering girl fell on the
prince.

Rameses had seen the Hand that smote him.

The look on the frozen features completed the undoing of Masanath's
self-control and she collapsed beside the bed, utterly prostrated.

Hotep entered with Seti. The boy prince's face was inflamed with much
weeping, and he flung himself upon the cold clay of Rameses, forgetting
wholly that the older brother had urged the passage of a harsh sentence
upon his young head.

The courtiers, who had stoically witnessed Meneptah's frantic grief,
turned now and hid their blinded eyes. Hotep went to the Pharaoh and
laid his hand on the monarch's shoulder. The action commanded.
Exhausted by his frenzy, Meneptah leaned against his scribe. The
cup-bearer and the captain released him and Hotep spoke quietly.

"Seest thou, O my King, the sorrow of thy people? Behold thy young son
and pity him. Look upon thy queen and comfort her. If thou, their
staff, art broken, who shall bear them up in their sorrow? Break not.
Be thou as the strong father of thy great son, so that from the bosom
of Osiris he may look upon Egypt and sleep well, seeing that in his
loss his kingdom lost not her prop and stay, her king, also."

The scanty manhood of the monarch, thus ably invoked, responded
somewhat. He raised himself and permitted Hotep to conduct him to the
side of the boy prince. Seti fell down at his father's feet, and Hotep
took Meneptah's hand and laid it on the bowed head.

"Thou dost pardon him, O Son of Ptah," the scribe said in the same
quiet voice. The king nodded weakly and wept afresh. After the prince
had clasped his father's knees and covered the hand with kisses, he
obeyed the scribe's sign and went away to his mother's side. Again
Hotep, compelling by his low voice, spoke to the king and the assembly
listened.

"The gods have not limited the darts of affliction to thee, O Son of
Ptah. Rameses journeyed not alone into Amenti. He took a kingdom with
him. Behold, the Hebrew hath loosed his direst plague upon Egypt, and
by the lips of an Israelite, in the s