et, despite imprisonment
by the priests," thought he, "he would prefer flight to climbing trees
and showing himself to the queen. I myself would facilitate his escape,
and cover him with wealth if he would tell the truth and seek
protection against those wretches. But whence came the mantle? How
deceive the mother?"

From that time Tutmosis avoided the pharaoh, and dared not look him in
the eyes, while Ramses himself acted strangely, so their heartfelt
relations seemed to grow cold somewhat.

But one evening the pharaoh summoned his favorite a second time.

"I must speak with Hiram," said he, "on questions of importance. I am
going out. Watch here at my chamber, and if any man wishes to see me do
not admit him."

When the pharaoh vanished in the secret corridors Tutmosis was seized
by alarm.

"Maybe," thought he, "the priests have poisoned him to produce
insanity; and he, feeling that an attack is coming, flees from his own
palace? Ha! we shall see!"

In fact he did see. The pharaoh returned well after midnight to his
chambers, and had a mantle; it was not his own, however, but a
soldier's.

Tutmosis was alarmed and did not sleep till morning, thinking that the
queen would summon him again on a sudden. The queen did not summon him,
however. But during the morning review of the guard, the officer Eunana
begged to speak with his chief for a moment.

When they were alone in a chamber Eunana fell at the feet of Tutmosis
and implored the chief not to repeat what he was going to tell him.

"What has happened?" inquired the adjutant, feeling cold in his heart.

"Chief," said Eunana, "yesterday I saw a man running in the garden
naked, and crying in an unearthly voice. He was brought in to me, and,
chief slay me!"

Eunana fell again at the feet of Tutmosis.

"That naked man that I cannot tell."

"Who was he?" inquired the terrified Tutmosis.

"I will not tell!" groaned Eunana. "I took off my mantle and covered
sacred nakedness. I wanted to take him to the palace but I the lord
commanded me to stay where I was, and be silent be silent!"

"Whither did he go?"

"I know not. I did not look, and I did not let the warriors look. He
vanished somewhere among the bushes of the garden. I told my men not to
see anything, not to hear anything; that if any man saw or heard
anything he would be strangled that instant."

Tutmosis had succeeded in mastering himself.

"I know nothing," said he, coldly, "and understand not