"But the treasury of the labyrinth."

"That is a treasury of the G.o.ds, to be touched only at a moment when the state is in supreme need," replied Mefres.

Rameses XIII. boiled up with anger.

"If earth-tillers do not need this sum, I do," said he, striking his fist on the arm of the chair.

"Holiness," replied Mefres, "thou canst in the course of a year receive more than thirty thousand talents, and Egypt twice as much."

"How?"

"Very simply. Give command, sovereign, to expel the Phnicians from Egypt."

It seemed that the pharaoh would rush at the insolent high priest; he grew pale, his lips quivered, his eyes stared. But he restrained himself in one moment, and said, in a tone of wonderful calmness,--

"Well, sufficient. If ye are able to give only such counsels I shall get on without them. The Phnicians have our signatures that we will pay them our debts faithfully. Has this occurred to thee, Mefres?"

"Pardon, holiness, but at that moment other thoughts occupied me. Thy ancestors, not on papyrus, but on bronze and stone carved out the statement that the gifts made by them to the G.o.ds and the temples belonged and would belong forever to the G.o.ds and the temples."

"And to you priests," added the pharaoh, sneeringly.

"As much to us," replied the haughty high priest, "as the state belongs to thee, sovereign. We guard and increase those treasures; but we have not the right to spend them."

The pharaoh left the hall panting with anger, and went to his own cabinet. His position was presented to him with terrible distinctness.

Of the hatred of the priests toward him he had no doubt any longer.

Those were the same dignitaries who, giddy with pride, had the past year refused him the corps of Memphis, and who had made him viceroy only when it seemed to them that he had performed an act of penitence by withdrawing from the palace--the very same who watched every movement of his, made reports regarding him, but did not tell him, the heir to the throne, even of the treaty with a.s.sar,--the very same dignitaries who had employed deceit against him in the temple of Hator, and who at the Soda Lakes slaughtered prisoners to whom he had promised freedom.

The pharaoh recalled the obeisances of Herhor, the looks of Mefres, and the tones of voice which both used. Beneath the show of good-will, their pride and their contempt for him appeared each moment. He asks for money, they promise prayers. Nay! they dare to tell him that he is not sole ruler in the land of Egypt.

The young sovereign laughed in spite of himself, for he called to mind the hired herdsmen who told the owner of the flock that he had no right to do what he liked with it. Besides the ridiculous aspect there was in the case a point which was terrible. The treasury contained perhaps a thousand talents which, according to the recent rate of outlay would last from seven to ten days. And then what? How would the officials, the servants, and above all how would the army, exist, not only without pay, but without sustenance?

The high priests knew this position of the pharaoh--if they did not hasten to a.s.sist him they wished to ruin him, and to ruin him in the course of a few days, even before the funeral of his father.

Rameses recalled a certain event of his childhood.

He was at a school of the priests when, on the festival of the G.o.ddess Mut, after various amus.e.m.e.nts they introduced the most famous buffoon in Egypt. This artist represented an unfortunate hero: when he commanded he was not obeyed, his anger was answered with laughter, and when, to punish those who made sport of him, he seized an axe, the axe broke in his hands. At last they let out a lion at him and when the defenceless hero began to flee it turned out that not a lion was chasing him, but a pig in a lion's skin.

The pupils and the teachers laughed at those adventures till the tears came; but the little prince sat gloomily; he was sorry for the man who was eager for great things but fell covered with ridicule.

That scene and the feelings which he experienced then were revived in the memory of the pharaoh. "They want to make me like that buffoon,"

thought he. Despair seized him, for he felt that his power would end when the last talent was issued, and with his power his life also.

But here came a certain revulsion. He halted in the middle of the room and thought,--

"What can happen to me? Nothing save death. I will go to my glorious ancestors, to Rameses the Great-- But then, I could not tell them that I died without defending myself. After the misfortunes of this earthly life eternal shame would meet me. How was it to end? He, the conqueror at the Soda Lakes, to yield before a handful of deceivers against whom one Asiatic regiment would not have much trouble? For the reason, then, that Mefres and Herhor wish to rule Egypt and the pharaoh, his troops must suffer hunger, and a million men are not to receive rest from labor? But did not his ancestors rear these temples. Did they not fill them with spoils? And who won the battles? The priests, or the warriors? Who, then, had a right to the treasures,--the priests, or the pharaoh and his army?"

Rameses shrugged his shoulders and summoned Tutmosis. Though it was late at night the favorite came to him straightway.

"Dost thou know," asked the pharaoh, "that the priests have refused me a loan, though the treasury is empty?"

Tutmosis straightened himself, and asked,--

"Wilt thou command to take them to prison?"

"Wouldst thou?"

"There is not an officer in Egypt who would hesitate to carry out an order from our lord and leader."

"In that case," said the pharaoh, deliberately, "there is no need to imprison any one. I have too much power on my side and too much contempt for the priesthood. A man does not put into a box bound with iron the carrion which he meets on the highway; he merely pa.s.ses around it."

"But a hyena is confined in a cage," whispered Tutmosis.

"It is too early yet. I must be gracious to those men, at least till my father is buried or they might commit some indignity on his revered mummy, and destroy his spirit. But go to-morrow to Hiram and tell him to send me that priest of whom we have spoken."

"That will be done. But I must remind thee, holiness, that to-day people attacked Phnician houses in Memphis."

"Oho! That was not needed."

"It seems to me, too," continued Tutmosis, "that since thou hast commanded Pentuer to investigate the condition of earth-tillers and laborers the priests are exciting the nomarchs and n.o.bles. They say that it is thy wish to ruin the n.o.bility for the sake of the people."

"But do the n.o.bles believe that?"

"There are some who believe, but there are others who say directly that it is an intrigue of the priests against the pharaoh."

"But if I wish indeed to improve the condition of earth-tillers?"

"Thou wilt do, lord, that which pleases thee," answered Tutmosis.

"Oh, I understand my position!" exclaimed Rameses. "Be at rest, and tell the n.o.bility that not only will they lose nothing in carrying out my orders, but their own condition will be improved notably. The wealth of Egypt must be taken at last from the hands of the unworthy and given to faithful servants."

The pharaoh dismissed his adjutant and went to rest satisfied. His temporary despair seemed to him laughable.

About noon of the following day it was announced that a deputation of Phnician merchants had come to his holiness.

"Do they wish to complain of the attack on their houses?" inquired the pharaoh.

"No," replied the adjutant, "they wish to offer thee homage."

In fact a number of Phnicians, under the leadership of Rabsun, declared that, according to ancient custom they had made bold to lay an insignificant gift at the feet of the sovereign who gave life to them and security to their property.

Then they placed on the tables gold plates, chains, and goblets filled with jewels.

After that, Rabsun placed on the steps of the throne a tray with the papyrus by which the Phnicians bound themselves to give all things necessary for the army to the amount of two thousand talents.

That was a considerable gift, since all that the Phnicians had brought represented a sum of three thousand talents.

The pharaoh answered the faithful merchants very graciously, and promised protection. He dismissed them in happiness.

Rameses XIII. drew a breath of relief: bankruptcy of the treasury, and therefore the need of using violent measures against the priests was deferred ten days longer.