sign a treaty with the worthy Hiram, then Tyre and
Sidon will place all their treasures at thy feet."

Ramses frowned. He was displeased by the insolence of the Phoenicians
who dared to lay down conditions to him; so he answered coldly,

"I will reflect and give Hiram my answer. Thou mayst withdraw, Dagon."

After the Phoenician had gone, Ramses meditated again; a reaction began
in him,

"Those hucksters," said he in his heart, "consider me as one of
themselves, nay more, they dare to hold up to me a bag of gold from
afar so as to extort a treaty! I know not that any of the pharaohs
admitted them to such confidence! I must change. The men who fall on
their faces before the envoys of Assar may not say to me, 'Sign and
Thou wilt get!' Stupid Phoenician rats, who steal into the pharaoh's
palace and look on it as their own den a moment later!"

The longer he thought over it the more precisely he recalled the
bearing of Hiram and Dagon, the greater the auger that seized him,

"How dare they how dare they lay conditions down to me? Hei, Tutmosis!"
cried he.

His favorite stood before him immediately.

"What dost Thou command, my lord?"

"Send some one of the younger officers to Dagon to inform him that he
has ceased to be my banker. He is too stupid for such a lofty
position."

"But to whom dost Thou predestine the honor, holiness?"

"I know not at the moment. It will be necessary to find some one among
Egyptian or Greek merchants. In the last resort we will turn to the
priests."

Information of this resolve went through all the palaces, and before an
hour it had reached Memphis. Throughout the whole city people said that
the Phoenicians were in disfavor with the pharaoh. Towards evening the
Egyptians had begun to break into the shops of the hated foreigners.

The priests drew a breath of relief. Herhor even made a visit to holy
Mefres and said to him,

"My heart felt that our lord would turn from those unbelievers who are
drinking the blood of the people. I think that it is proper for us to
show him gratitude."

"And perhaps open the doors to our treasures?" asked Mefres, rudely.
"Hasten not, worthiness, I have divined this young man woe to us if
ever we let him get the upper hand."

"But if he has broken with the Phoenicians?"

"He will gain by that; for he will not pay his debts to them."

"In my opinion," said Herhor, after some thought, "now is the moment in
which we can regain the favor of this y