answer, he bowed, muttering,

"Prince, the gods have given thee the wisdom of high priests, may their
names be blessed! I wanted to issue an order to search for these
insolents, but now I prefer to follow thy advice, for Thou art a sage
above sages. Tell me, therefore, lord, what I am to do with Sargon and
those turbulent young people."

"First of all, wait till morning. As a priest, Thou knowest best that
divine sleep often brings good counsel."

"But if before morning I think out nothing?"

"I will visit Sargon in every case, and try to efface that little
accident from his memory."

The priest took farewell of Ramses with marks of respect. On the way
home, he pondered.

"I will let the heart be torn out of my breast," thought he, "if the
prince had to do with that business. He neither beat Sargon, nor
persuaded another to beat him; he did not even know of the incident.
Whoso judges an affair with such coolness and so pointedly cannot be a
confederate. In that case I can begin an investigation, and if we do
not mollify the shaggy barbarian I will deliver the disturbers to
justice. Beautiful treaty of friendship between two states, which
begins by insulting the ambassador!"

Next morning the lordly Sargon lay on his felt couch till midday. He
lay thus rather frequently, however, that is, after each drinking-
feast. Near him, on a low divan, sat the devout Istubar, with eyes
fixed on the ceiling, while muttering a prayer.

"Istubar," sighed the dignitary, "art Thou sure that no man of our
court knows of my misfortune?"

"Who could know, if Thou hast seen no one?"

"But the Egyptians!" groaned Sargon.

"Of the Egyptians Mentezufis and the prince know, yes, and those madmen
who surely will remember thy fists for a long time."

"They may they may; but it seems to me that the heir was among them,
and that his nose is crushed, if not broken."

"The heir has a sound nose, and he was not there, I assure thee."

"In that case," sighed Sargon, "the prince should impale a good number
of those rioters on stakes. I am an ambassador; my person is sacred."

"But I tell thee," counseled Istubar, "to cast anger from thy heart,
and not to complain even; for if those rioters are arraigned before a
court, the whole world will learn that the ambassador of the most
worthy King Assar goes about among Phoenicians, and, what is worse,
visits them alone during night hours. What wilt Thou answer if thy
mortal enemy, the chancel