time.

At a sign from Mefres there came out again a procession of musicians,
dancers, and minor priests carrying a statue of the cow-headed Hator;
and when they had driven away evil sprits, Pentuer began to explain
again.

"Ye see, worthy fathers," said he, "that since the time of the
nineteenth dynasty a hundred thousand measures of land and two million
people have vanished out of Egypt. This explains why the income of the
state has decreased thirty-two thousand talents; that it has decreased
is known to all of us.

"But this is only the beginning of misfortunes to the state and the
treasury. Ninety-eight thousand talents of income apparently remain to
his holiness. But do ye think that the pharaoh receives all this
income?

"I will tell you what his worthiness Herhor discovered in the province
of the Hare.

"During the nineteenth dynasty twenty thousand people dwelt in that
province; they paid three hundred and fifty talents of yearly taxes. To
day there are hardly fifteen thousand, and these, of course, pay the
treasury only two hundred and seventy talents. Meanwhile the pharaoh,
instead of receiving two hundred and seventy talents, receives one
hundred and seventy.

"'Why is that?' inquired Herhor; and this is what an investigation
discovered: During the nineteenth dynasty there were in the district
about one hundred officials, and these received each one thousand
drachmas yearly salary. Today in that same district, though the people
have decreased, there are more than two hundred officials who receive
two thousand five hundred drachmas yearly.

"It is unknown to his worthiness Herhor if this is the case in every
district. But this much is certain, that the treasury of the pharaoh,
instead of ninety-eight thousand talents annually, has only seventy-
four thousand."

"Say, worthy father, fifty thousand," interrupted Ramses.

"I will explain that too," replied Pentuer. "In every case remember,
prince, that the pharaoh's treasury pays today twenty-four thousand
talents to officials, while it gave only ten thousand during the
nineteenth dynasty."

Deep silence reigned among the dignitaries, for more than one of them
had a relative in office, well paid moreover. But Pentuer was
unterrified.

"Now," continued he, "I will show thee, O heir, the manner of life
among officials, and the lot of common people in those old times and in
our day."

"Will it not take too much time? Besides, every man can see for