a fortress
which the enemy was undermining, while he himself was looking on in
helplessness. This thought so tortured him that under its influence he
fell upon a daring plan. Meeting the high priest Sem, he said to him,

"Worthiness, hast Thou heard the reports about our sovereign?"

"The pharaoh is young, hence various scandals may circulate concerning
him," replied Sem, looking strangely at Tutmosis. "But such affairs
pertain not to me; I take the place of his holiness in the service of
the gods; I fulfill that office as I know best, and have no care for
other questions."

"I know, worthiness, that Thou art a faithful servant of the pharaoh,"
said Tutmosis, "and I have no thought of interfering with priestly
secrets; I must turn thy attention, however, to one trifle. I have
learned that holy Mefres holds a certain Lykon, a Greek, on whom two
crimes are weighing: he murdered the pharaoh's son, and besides he
looks like his holiness. Let the worthy Mefres not bring disgrace on
the revered priestly order; let him yield the murderer to justice at
the earliest; for if we find Lykon, I swear that Mefres will lose not
his office alone, but his head also. In our kingdom it is not permitted
to patronize murderers and secrete men who resemble the sovereign."

Sem, in whose presence Mefres had taken Lykon from the police, was
confused out of fear perhaps that he might be suspected of co-
operation, still he answered,

"I will try to forewarn holy Mefres of these suspicions. But Thou
knowest, worthiness, how people answer who attribute crimes to others."

"I know and assume responsibility. I am so certain of my case that I
have no concern as to the result of my suspicions. Alarm I leave to
holy Mefres; I trust that he will not force me to pass from warning to
energetic action."

The conversation had its result: from that day forth no man ever saw
the counterfeit of the pharaoh. But reports did not cease; Ramses XIII,
however, knew nothing of them; Tutmosis feared violent action of the
pharaoh against the priests, hence gave him no information.

CHAPTER LXII

IN the beginning of the month Paofi (July, August) the pharaoh, Queen
Niort's, and the court returned from Thebes to the palace at Memphis.
Toward the end of the journey, which took place on the Nile this time
also, Ramses fell into meditation often, and said once to Tutmosis,

"I notice a strange thing. The people assemble on both banks as
numerously, and per