no harm. They never calculate on the love of people."

"And that I know their political secrets," added the prince.

"Ei!" hissed Tutmosis. "That is the one thing that was not needed."

"No help for it now," said Ramses. "Send out our couriers immediately
to the regiments; let the chiefs meet to-morrow morning in a military
council. Give command to light alarm signals, so that all the troops of
Lower Egypt may march toward the western border to-morrow. Go to the
nomarchs here, and command them to inform all the others to collect
clothing, provisions, and weapons."

"We shall have trouble with the Nile," said Tutmosis.

"Then let every boat and barge be held at the arms of the Nile to ferry
over troops. We must summon every nomarch to occupy himself in fitting
out reserves."

Meanwhile Mefres and Mentezufis returned to their dwellings in the
temple of Ptah. When they were alone in a cell, the high priest raised
his hands, and exclaimed,

"O Trinity of immortal gods, Osiris, Isis, and Horus, save Egypt from
destruction! Since the world became the world, no pharaoh has ever
uttered so many blasphemies as we have heard today from that stripling.
What do I say, pharaoh? No enemy of Egypt, no Hittite, Phoenician, or
Libyan has ever dared so to insult priestly immunity."

"Wine makes a man transparent," answered Mentezufis.

"But in that youthful heart is a nest of serpents. He insults the
priestly rank, he jeers at miracles, he has no belief in gods."

"But this concerns me most," said Mentezufis, thoughtfully, "how did he
learn of our negotiations with. Beroes? for he knows them, I will swear
to that."

"A dreadful treason has been committed," added Mefres, seizing his
head.

"A very wonderful thing! There were four of us."

"Not at all four of us. The elder priestess of Isis knew of Beroes, two
priests who showed him the road to the temple of Set, and a priest who
received him at the door. But wait! that priest spends all his time in
underground places. But if he overheard?"

"In every case he did not sell the secret to a stripling, but to some
one more important; and that is dangerous."

The high priest of the temple of Ptah, the holy Sem, knocked at the
door of the cell.

"Peace to you," said he, entering.

"Blessing to thy heart."

"I came, for ye were raising your voices as if some misfortune had
happened. Does this war with the wretched Libyans not surprise you?"

"What dost Thou think of the pr