d
enough to show me all. I felt proud of you, Shabaka, but begone, begone!
'A gift for the poor old beggar! A gift, my lords, for the poor blind
beggar who has had none since the last Pharaoh was crowned in Egypt and
finds it hard to live on memories!'"

At our house I found my mother just returned from the Coronation, but
Bes I did not find and guessed that he had slipped away to meet his
new-made wife, Karema. My mother embraced me and blessed me, making much
of me and my deeds in the battle; also she doctored such small hurts as
I had. I put the matter by as shortly as I could and asked her if she
had seen aught of Amada. She answered that she had neither seen nor
heard of her which I was sure she thought strange, as she began to
talk quickly of other things. I said to her what I had said to the holy
Tanofir, that doubtless she was making ready for the feast since I could
not find her at the Crowning.

"Or saying good-bye to the goddess," answered my mother nodding, "since
there are some who find it even harder to fall from heaven to earth than
to climb from earth to heaven, and after all you are but a man, my son."

Then she slipped away to attire herself, leaving me wondering, because
my mother was shrewd and never spoke at random.

There was the holy Tanofir, too, with his talk about the temple of Isis,
and he also did not speak at random. Oh! now I felt as I had done when
the shadow of the palm-tree fell on me yonder in the palace garden.

The mood passed for my blood still tingled with the glory of that great
fight, and my heart shut its doors to sadness, knowing as I did, that I
was the most praised man in Memphis that day. Indeed had I not, I should
have learned it when with my mother I entered the great banqueting-hall
of the palace somewhat late, for she was long in making ready.

The first thing I saw there was Bes gorgeously arrayed in Eastern silks
that he had plundered from the Satrap's tent, standing on a table so
that all might see and hear him, and holding aloft in one hand the
grisly head of Idernes and in the other that of the hawk-eyed noble whom
he had slain, while in his thick, guttural voice he told the tale of
that great fray. Catching sight of me, he called aloud,

"See! Here comes the man! Here comes the hero to whom Egypt owes its
liberty and Pharaoh his crown."

Thereon all the company and the soldiers and servants who were gathered
about the door began to shout and acclaim me,