"I cannot recognize my own son. I do not see in thee the future lord of Egypt. The dynasty in thy person will be like a Nile boat without a rudder. Thou wilt drive the priests from the court, but who will remain with thee? Who will be thy eye in the Lower and the Upper Country, who in foreign lands? But the pharaoh must see everything, whatever it be, on which fall the divine rays of Osiris."

"The priests will be my servants, not my ministers."

"They are the most faithful servants. Thanks to their prayers thy father reigns thirty-three years, and avoids war which might be fatal."

"To the priests?"

"To the pharaoh and the state!" interrupted the lady. "Knowest thou what takes place in our treasury, from which in one day thou takest ten talents and desirest fifteen more? Knowest thou that were it not for the liberality of the priests, who on behalf of the treasury even take real jewels from the G.o.ds and put false ones in their places, the property of the pharaoh would be now in the hands of Phnicians?"

"One fortunate war would overflow our treasury as the increase of the Nile does our fields."

"No. Thou, Rameses, art such a child yet that we may not even reckon thy G.o.dless words as sinful. Occupy thyself, I beg, with thy Greek regiments, get rid of the Jew girl as quickly as may be, and leave politics to us."

"Why must I put away Sarah?"

"Shouldst thou have a son from her, complications might rise in the State, which is troubled enough as matters now are. Thou mayst be angry with the priests," added she, "if thou wilt not offend them in public. They know that it is necessary to overlook much in an heir to the throne, especially when he has such a stormy character. But time pacifies everything to the glory of the dynasty and the profit of Egypt."

The prince meditated; then he said suddenly,--

"I cannot count, therefore, on money from the treasury."

"Thou canst not in any case. The grand secretary would have been forced to stop payment to-day had I not given him fourteen talents sent from Tyre to me."

"And what shall I do with the army?" asked the prince, rubbing his forehead impatiently.

"Put away the Jewess, and beg the priests. Perhaps they will make a loan to thee."

"Never! I prefer a loan from Phnicians."

The lady shook her head.

"Thou art erpatr, act as may please thee. But I say that thou must give great security, and the Phnicians, when once thy creditors, will not let thee go. They surpa.s.s the Jews in treachery."

"A part of my income will suffice to cover such debts."

"We shall see. I wish sincerely to help thee, but I have not the means," said the lady, sadly. "Do, then, as thou art able, but remember that the Phnicians in our state are like rats in a granary; when one pushes in through a crevice, others follow."

Rameses loitered in leave-taking.

"Hast thou something more to tell me?" inquired the queen.

"I should like to ask-- My heart divines that thou, mother, hast some plans regarding me. What are they?"

She stroked his face.

"Not now--not yet. Thou art free to-day, like every young n.o.ble in the country; then make use of thy freedom. But, Rameses, the time is coming when thou wilt have to take a wife whose children will be princes of the blood royal and whose son will be thy heir. I am thinking of that time--"

"And what?"

"Nothing defined yet. In every case political wisdom suggests to me that thy wife should be a priest's daughter."

"Perhaps Herhor's?" said the prince, with a laugh.

"What would there be blamable in that? Herhor will be high priest in Thebes very soon, and his daughter is only fourteen years of age."

"And would she consent to occupy the place of the Jewess?" asked Rameses, ironically.

"Thou shouldst try to have people forget thy present error."

"I kiss thy feet, mother, and I go," said the prince, seizing his own head. "I hear so many marvellous things here that I begin to fear lest the Nile may flow up toward the cataract, or the pyramids pa.s.s over to the eastern desert."

"Blaspheme not, my child," whispered the lady, gazing with fear at Rameses. "In this land most wonderful miracles are seen."

"Are not they this, that the walls of the palace listen to their owners?" asked her son, with a bitter smile.

"Men have witnessed the death of pharaohs who had reigned a few months only, and the fall of dynasties which had governed nine nations."

"Yes, for those pharaohs forgot the sword for the distaff," retorted Rameses.

He bowed and went out.

In proportion as the sound of Rameses' steps grew less in the immense antechamber, the face of the worthy lady changed; the place of majesty was taken by pain and fear, while tears were glistening in her great eyes.

She ran to the statue of the G.o.ddess, knelt, and sprinkling incense from India on the coals, began to pray,--

"O Isis, Isis, Isis! three times do I p.r.o.nounce thy name. O Isis, who givest birth to serpents, crocodiles, and ostriches, may thy name be thrice praised. O Isis, who preservest grains of wheat from robber whirlwinds, and the bodies of our fathers from the destructive toil of time, O Isis, take pity on my son and preserve him! Thrice be thy name repeated--and here--and there--and beyond, to-day and forever, and for the ages of ages, as long as the temples of our G.o.ds shall gaze on themselves in the waters of the Nile."

Thus praying and sobbing, the queen bowed down and touched the pavement with her forehead. Above her at that moment a low whisper was audible,--

"The voice of the just is heard always."

The worthy lady sprang up, and full of astonishment looked around. But there was no one in the chamber. Only the painted flowers gazed at her from the walls, and from above the altar the statue of the G.o.ddess full of superterrestrial calm.

CHAPTER VIII

The prince returned to his villa full of care, and summoned Tutmosis.

"Thou must," said Rameses, "teach me how to find money."

"Ha!" laughed the exquisite; "that is a kind of wisdom not taught in the highest school of the priests, but wisdom in which I might be a prophet."

"In those schools they explain that a man should not borrow money,"

said Rameses.

"If I did not fear that blasphemy might stain my lips, I should say that some priests waste their time. They are wretched, though holy!