of the pharaoh, and of Egypt!" exclaimed
the queen, pointing to the Phoenician.

"Worthy lady," answered Hiram, without confusion, bowing to her, "time
will show who was the faithful and who the evil servant of his
holiness."

Ramses stopped suddenly before Hiram.

"Hast Thou the letters of Herhor to Assyria?" inquired he.

The Phoenician drew from under his robe a package, and in silence
handed it to the pharaoh.

"This is what I needed!" exclaimed the pharaoh in triumph. "We must
declare at once to the people that the high priests are guilty of
treason."

"My son," interrupted the queen in an imploring voice, "by the shade of
thy father I adjure thee; delay this announcement a couple of days.
There is need of great caution with gifts from Phoenicia."

"Holiness," put in Hiram, "Thou mayst even burn these letters. I am in
no way concerned with them."

The pharaoh thought a while, then hid the package in his bosom.

"What hast Thou heard in Lower Egypt?" inquired the sovereign.

"They are beating Phoenicians at all points," replied Hiram. "Our
houses are wrecked, our effects stolen, and a number of tens of
Phoenicians are slain."

"I have heard. This is the work of the priests," said the pharaoh.

"Say, rather, my son, that it comes of the godlessness and extortion of
Phoenicians," interrupted Queen Niort's.

"For three days the chief of police from Pi-Bast is in Memphis with two
assistants, and they are on the trail of the murderer and deceiver
Lykon."

"Who was hidden in Phoenician temples!" cried Niort's.

"Lykon," continued Hiram, "whom the high priest Mefres stole from the
police and the courts Lykon, who in Thebes ran naked through the garden
as a maniac, counterfeiting thee, holiness."

"What dost Thou tell me?" cried the pharaoh.

"Holiness, ask the most revered queen if she saw him," answered Hiram.

Ramses looked in confusion at his mother.

"Yes," said she. "I saw that wretch, but I said nothing so as to spare
thee pain. I must explain, however, that no one has proof that Lykon
was put there by the priests, for the Phoenicians might have done that
as well."

Hiram laughed sneeringly.

"O mother, mother!" cried Ramses, with sorrow. "Is it possible that the
priests are dearer to thy heart than I am?"

"Thou art my son and most precious sovereign," said the queen with
enthusiasm, "but I cannot suffer a stranger, an infidel, to cast
calumny on the holy order of the priests from which