"

"Do not say this audibly," cautioned Hebron. "What wilt Thou do if
Tutmosis does not succeed in seizing the temple?"

"I will take the leadership from him, hide my crown in a box, and put
on an officer's helmet," answered Ramses. "I am certain that when I
appear at the head of the troops myself the sedition will vanish."

"Which one?" inquired Hebron.

"Ah, true, we have two," laughed Ramses. "That of the people against
the priests, that of the priests against me."

He seized Hebron in his arms and went toward the couch whispering,

"How beautiful Thou art today! Each time I see thee Thou art different,
each time more beautiful than ever."

"Let me go," whispered Hebron. "At times I am afraid that Thou wilt
bite me."

"Bite? No! But I might kiss thee to death. Thou dost not even suspect
thy own beauty."

"I am beautiful in comparison with ministers and generals. But free
me."

"In thy presence I should wish to be like a pomegranate. I should wish
to have as many arms as the tree has branches, so as to embrace thee
with all of them, as many hands as it has leaves, and as many lips as
it has flowers, so as to kiss thy lips, eyes, and bosom at once with
them."

"Thou hast a mind marvelously free of care for a sovereign whose throne
is in peril."

"On the couch, I do not care for a throne. While I have a sword I shall
have power."

"Thy troops are scattered," said Hebron, defending herself.

"Tomorrow fresh troops will come, and after to-morrow I shall gather
the scattered ones. I repeat to thee be not occupied with trifles. One
moment of fondling is worth more than a year of dominion."

One hour after sunset the pharaoh left Hebron's villa and returned
slowly to his palace. He was full of imaginings, he was dreamy, and he
thought the high priests were great fools to resist him. Since Egypt
became Egypt there had not been a kindlier pharaoh.

All at once, from out a clump of fig trees sprang a man in a dark
mantle, and barred the road to Ramses. The pharaoh, to see the man
better, approached his face to the face of the stranger and cried
suddenly,

"O wretch, is it thou? Go to the guard house!"

It was Lykon. Ramses seized him by the neck; the Greek hissed and knelt
on the ground. At the same moment the pharaoh felt a sharp pain in the
left side of his stomach.

"Dost Thou bite too?" cried Ramses. He seized the Greek with both
hands, and when he heard the cracking of his broken spine he hurled h