a great lord
will come to Pi-Bast from Assyria, Sargon, the friend of King Assar. He
will come under pretext of a pilgrimage to the temple of Astaroth, he
will bring gifts to thee and to his holiness; then he will make a
treaty. Ye will in fact put seals to that which the priests have
determined to the ruin of Phoenicia, and perhaps to your own great
misfortune."

"Never! What return could Assyria give Egypt?"

"That speech is worthy of a pharaoh. What return would Egypt get? Every
treaty is good for a state if only something be gained through it. I am
astonished specially by this," continued Hiram, "that Egypt should
conclude a bad transaction: besides Phoenicia, Assyria will take almost
all Asia, and to you will be left, in the form of a favor, the
Israelites, the Philistines, and the peninsula of Sinai. In that case
the tributes belonging to Egypt will be lost, and the pharaoh will
never receive those hundred and five thousand talents."

The viceroy shook his head.

"Thou dost not know Egyptian priests," said he; "not one of them would
accept such a treaty."

"Why not? The Phoenician proverb says: 'Better barley in the granary
than gold in the desert.' Should Egypt feel very weak she might prefer
Sinai and Palestine to a war with Assyria. But this is what sets me to
thinking: Not Egypt, but Assyria, is easy to conquer. Assyria has a
quarrel on the northwest; Assyria has few troops, and those of poor
quality. Were Egypt to attack she would destroy Assyria, seize immense
treasures in Babylon and Nineveh, and establish her authority in Asia
at once and securely."

"Such a treaty cannot exist, as Thou seest," interrupted Ramses.

"In one case alone could I understand such a treaty," continued Hiram.
"If 'tis the plan of the priests to set aside kingly power in Egypt;
and toward this, O prince, they have been striving since the days of
thy grandfather."

"Thou art speaking aside from the question," said Ramses, but he felt
alarm in his heart.

"Perhaps I am mistaken," answered Hiram, looking into his eyes quickly.
"But hear me out, worthiness."

He moved up his armchair to the prince, and said in a lowered voice,

"If the pharaoh should make war on Assyria, he would have a great army
attached to his person; a hundred thousand talents of tribute in
arrears, about two hundred thousand talents from Nineveh and Babylon,
finally about a hundred thousand talents yearly from conquered
countries. Such immense wealt