r. "Thou hast refused the high dignity
so as not to work to the destruction of the temples. I know, I know!
though perhaps it is to be regretted that Thou hast not become the
adviser of that giddy milksop, who, as it were, governs us. To a
certainty Thou wouldst not have suffered him to surround himself with
those traitors who are ruining him."

Pentuer, not wishing to speak of such ticklish subjects, told Herhor
why he was going to Lower Egypt.

"Very well," answered Herhor, "let Ramses XIII call an assembly of all
the orders. He has a right to call it."

"But," he added suddenly, "I am sorry that Thou art involved in such
labor. Great changes have taken place in thee. Thou rememberest thy
words to my adjutant during those maneuvers in Pi-Bailos? I will remind
thee: Thou didst tell him that it was necessary to limit the abuses and
license of the pharaohs. But today Thou art supporting the childish
pretensions of the greatest profligate ever known to Egypt."

"Ramses XIII," said Pentuer, interrupting, "wishes to improve the lot
of common people. I should be stupid and mean, therefore, were I, the
son of earth-tillers, not to serve him in this question."

"But Thou dost not ask whether that would not injure us, the
priesthood."

Pentuer was astonished.

"But Thou thyself givest great relief to common men belonging to the
temple," said he. "I have, besides, thy permission."

"What? Which?" inquired Herhor.

"Recall, worthiness, that night when we greeted Beroes. Mefres declared
at that time that Egypt had fallen because the priestly order was
lowered, while I asserted that the misery of the people was the cause
of the suffering of the State, to which thou, so far as I remember,
didst answer: Let Mefres occupy himself with bettering the priesthood,
Pentuer in improving the lot of common people, while I will avoid
destructive war between Egypt and Assyria."

"Well, dost Thou see," interrupted the high priest, "it is thy duty to
act with us, not with Ramses."

"Does he wish war with Assyria," replied Pentuer, energetically, "or
does he hinder priests from acquiring wisdom? He wishes to give the
people every seventh day for rest, and later to give each family of
earth-workers a small bit of land for subsistence. Do not tell me,
worthiness, that the pharaoh wishes evil, for it has been verified on
temple ground that a free man who has his own patch of earth labors
incomparably better than one without freedom."