, and the treasury of
the pharaoh an endless source of income.

The prince was enchanted, though next day a new doubt sprang up in him.

Pentuer had announced with great emphasis, while Herhor had asserted
still earlier, that victorious wars were the source of misfortune for
the country. From this it resulted that to raise Egypt by a new war was
impossible.

"Pentuer is a great sage, and so is Herhor," thought Ramses. "If they
consider war harmful, if the high priest Mefres and other priests judge
in the same way, then perhaps war is in fact dangerous. It must be
dangerous, if so many holy and wise men insist thus."

Ramses was deeply disappointed. He had thought out a simple method of
elevating Egypt, but the priests maintained that that was the true way
to ruin it. The priests are most holy, and they are wise men.

But something happened which cooled the faith of the prince somewhat in
the truthful speech of the priests, or rather it roused his previous
distrust of them.

Once he was going with a certain leech to the library. The way lay
through a dark and narrow corridor from which the heir drew back with
repulsion.

"I will not go by this way," said he.

"Why not?" inquired the leech, with astonishment.

"Dost Thou not remember, holy father, that at the end of that corridor
is an opening in which a certain traitor was tortured to death without
pity."

"Aha!" answered the leech. "There is an opening there into which we
poured boiling pitch at command of Pentuer."

"And ye killed a man."

The leech smiled. He was a kindly, gladsome person. So, observing the
indignation of the prince, he said after some meditation,

"It is not permitted to betray temple secrets. Of course, before each
of the greater solemnities, we bring this to the mind of younger
candidates."

His tone was so peculiar that Ramses required explanation.

"I cannot betray secrets," replied the leech; "but promise, worthiness,
to hide a story in thy breast, and I will tell thee one."

Ramses promised. The leech gave this narrative:

"A certain Egyptian priest, while visiting temples in the unbelieving
land of Aram, met at one of them a man who seemed to him in good flesh
and satisfied, though he wore wretched garments. 'Explain to me,' said
the priest to the gladsome poor man, 'how it is that, though Thou art
indigent, thy body looks as though Thou wert chief of this temple.'

"That man looked around then to see if any one were lis