iments
they would be in possession at present."

"What art Thou saying, Tutmosis?" cried the queen. "Where has any one
heard of Egyptian troops."

"Thou hast forgotten," interrupted Ramses, "that according to my
commands the troops were not to attack, but defend the temples from
attacks of the people."

"Action is delayed through this also," answered Tutmosis, impatiently.

"O counselors of the pharaoh!" burst out the queen. "Your lord acts
wisely, appearing as a defender of the gods, and ye, instead of making
him milder, urge him to violence."

The blood rushed to Tutmosis' head. Fortunately an adjutant called him
from the chamber with information that at the gate was an old man who
wished to speak with his holiness.

"Today each man is struggling to get at the pharaoh, as he might at the
keeper of a dramshop," muttered the adjutant.

Tutmosis thought that in the time of Ramses XII no one would have dared
to speak of the ruler in that way. But he feigned not to hear.

The old man whom the watch had detained was Prince Hiram. He wore a
soldier's mantle covered with dust; he was irritated and wearied.

Tutmosis commanded to admit him, and when both were in the garden, he
said to him,

"I judge that Thou wilt bathe, worthiness, and change thy dress before
I obtain an audience with his holiness?"

Hiram raised his iron-gray brows, and his bloodshot eyes became
bloodier.

"From what I have seen," said he firmly, "I may even not ask for an
audience."

"Hast Thou the letters of the high priest to Assyria?"

"What good are those letters, since ye have agreed with the priests?"

"What dost Thou say, worthiness?" inquired Tutmosis, starting.

"I know what I say!" replied Hiram. "Ye have obtained tens of thousands
of talents from the Phoenicians, as it were for the liberation of Egypt
from the power of the priesthood, and today in return for that ye are
robbing and slaying us. See what is happening from the sea to the First
Cataract: your common people are hunting the Phoenicians like dogs, for
such is the command of the priesthood."

"Thou art mad, Phoenician! Our people are taking the temple of Ptah in
Memphis."

Hiram waved his hand.

"They will not take it! Ye are deceiving us, or ye are deceiving
yourselves. Ye were to seize, first of all, the labyrinth and its
treasure, and that only on the 23d. Meanwhile ye are wasting power on
the temple of Ptah, and the labyrinth is lost. What is happening here?