evulsion. He halted in the middle of the room
and thought,

"What can happen to me? Nothing save death. I will go to my glorious
ancestors, to Ramses the Great But then, I could not tell them that I
died without defending myself. After the misfortunes of this earthly
life eternal shame would meet me. How was it to end? He, the conqueror
at the Soda Lakes, to yield before a handful of deceivers against whom
one Asiatic regiment would not have much trouble? For the reason, then,
that Mefres and Herhor wish to rule Egypt and the pharaoh, his troops
must suffer hunger, and a million men are not to receive rest from
labor? But did not his ancestors rear these temples. Did they not fill
them with spoils? And who won the battles? The priests, or the
warriors? Who, then, had a right to the treasures, the priests, or the
pharaoh and his army?"

Ramses shrugged his shoulders and summoned Tutmosis. Though it was late
at night the favorite came to him straightway.

"Dost Thou know," asked the pharaoh, "that the priests have refused me
a loan, though the treasury is empty?"

Tutmosis straightened himself, and asked,

"Wilt Thou command to take them to prison?"

"Wouldst thou?"

"There is not an officer in Egypt who would hesitate to carry out an
order from our lord and leader."

"In that case," said the pharaoh, deliberately, "there is no need to
imprison any one. I have too much power on my side and too much
contempt for the priesthood. A man does not put into a box bound with
iron the carrion which he meets on the highway; he merely passes around
it."

"But a hyena is confined in a cage," whispered Tutmosis.

"It is too early yet. I must be gracious to those men, at least till my
father is buried or they might commit some indignity on his revered
mummy, and destroy his spirit. But go tomorrow to Hiram and tell him to
send me that priest of whom we have spoken."

"That will be done. But I must remind thee, holiness, that today people
attacked Phoenician houses in Memphis."

"Oho! That was not needed."

"It seems to me, too," continued Tutmosis, "that since Thou hast
commanded Pentuer to investigate the condition of earth-tillers and
laborers the priests are exciting the nomarchs and nobles. They say
that it is thy wish to ruin the nobility for the sake of the people."

"But do the nobles believe that?"

"There are some who believe, but there are others who say directly that
it is an intrigue of the priests again