his is as the gods will!"

The prince listened with attention, but confessed in soul that he did
not understand greatly. All at once he recalled the object of his visit
to the temple, and inquired of the great leech unexpectedly,

"Ye were to show me, holy father, the secret of the treasure of the
pharaoh. Was it those things which we have seen?"

"By no means. We know nothing of state affairs. But when the great seer
comes, the holy priest Pentuer, he will remove from thy eyes the
curtain."

Ramses took leave of the leech with increased curiosity as to what they
were to show him.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE temple received Pentuer with great honor, and the inferior priests
went out half an hour's journey to greet him. From all the wonderful
places of Lower Egypt many prophets had assembled with the intent to
hear words of wisdom. A couple of days later came the high priest
Mefres and the prophet Mentezufis. These two rendered honor to Pentuer,
not only because he was a counselor of Herhor and notwithstanding his
youth a member of the supreme college, but because this priest enjoyed
favor throughout Egypt. The gods had given him a memory which seemed
more than human; they had given him eloquence, and above all a
marvelous gift of clear vision. In every affair he saw points hidden
from others, and was able to explain them in a way understood by all
listeners.

More than one nomarch, or high official of the pharaoh, on learning
that Pentuer was to celebrate a religious solemnity in the temple of
Hator, envied the humblest priest, since he would hear a man inspired
by divinities.

The priests who went forth to greet Pentuer felt sure that that
dignitary would show himself in a court chariot, or in a litter borne
by eight slaves. What was their amazement at beholding a lean ascetic,
bareheaded, wearing a coarse garment, riding on a she ass, and
unattended! He greeted them with great humility, and when they
conducted him to the temple he made an offering to the divinity and
went straightway to examine the place of the coming festival.

Thenceforth no one saw Pentuer, but in the temple and the adjoining
courts there was an uncommon activity. Men brought costly furniture,
grain, garments. A number of hundreds of pupils and workmen were freed
from their employments; with these Pentuer shut himself up in the court
and worked at preparations.

After eight days of hard labor he informed the high priest of Hator
that all