"I will take the leadership from him, hide my crown in a box, and put on an officer's helmet," answered Rameses. "I am certain that when I appear at the head of the troops myself the sedition will vanish."

"Which one?" inquired Hebron.

"Ah, true, we have two," laughed Rameses. "That of the people against the priests, that of the priests against me."

He seized Hebron in his arms and went toward the couch whispering,--

"How beautiful thou art to-day! Each time I see thee thou art different,--each time more beautiful than ever."

"Let me go," whispered Hebron. "At times I am afraid that thou wilt bite me."

"Bite?--No! But I might kiss thee to death. Thou dost not even suspect thy own beauty."

"I am beautiful in comparison with ministers and generals. But free me."

"In thy presence I should wish to be like a pomegranate. I should wish to have as many arms as the tree has branches, so as to embrace thee with all of them,--as many hands as it has leaves, and as many lips as it has flowers, so as to kiss thy lips, eyes, and bosom at once with them."

"Thou hast a mind marvellously free of care for a sovereign whose throne is in peril."

"On the couch, I do not care for a throne. While I have a sword I shall have power."

"Thy troops are scattered," said Hebron, defending herself.

"To-morrow fresh troops will come, and after to-morrow I shall gather the scattered ones. I repeat to thee be not occupied with trifles. One moment of fondling is worth more than a year of dominion."

One hour after sunset the pharaoh left Hebron's villa and returned slowly to his palace. He was full of imaginings, he was dreamy, and he thought the high priests were great fools to resist him. Since Egypt became Egypt there had not been a kindlier pharaoh.

All at once, from out a clump of fig trees sprang a man in a dark mantle, and barred the road to Rameses. The pharaoh, to see the man better, approached his face to the face of the stranger and cried suddenly,--

"O wretch, is it thou? Go to the guard house!"

It was Lykon. Rameses seized him by the neck; the Greek hissed and knelt on the ground. At the same moment the pharaoh felt a sharp pain in the left side of his stomach.

"Dost thou bite too?" cried Rameses. He seized the Greek with both hands, and when he heard the cracking of his broken spine he hurled him off in disgust.

Lykon fell quivering in the convulsions of death.

The pharaoh moved back a couple of steps. He examined his body and discovered the handle of a dagger.

"He has wounded me!"

He drew the slender steel from his side and pressed the wound.

"I wonder," thought he, "if any of my counsellors has a plaster?" He felt weak and hurried forward. Right at the palace one of the officers stood before him and said, "Tutmosis is dead; the traitor Eunana slew him."

"Eunana?" repeated the pharaoh. "But what of the others?"

"Almost all the volunteers who went with Tutmosis were sold to the priests."

"Well, I must finish this!" said Rameses. "Sound the trumpets for the Asiatic regiments."

The trumpets sounded, and the Asiatics hurried from the barracks, leading their horses.

"Give me my steed!" said the pharaoh. But he felt a sudden dizziness and added, "No, give me a litter, I should tire myself."

All at once he tottered into the arms of the officers.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Rameses in a dying voice. "Bring my helmet and sword--that steel sword--from the Soda--. Let us go to Memphis--"

Officials and servants ran out of the villa with torches. The pharaoh was supported by officers, his face was pale and his eyes were mist-covered. He stretched forth his hand as if seeking his breastplate, his lips moved, and amid general silence the lord of two worlds, the temporal and the western, breathed his life out.

The dove-eyed G.o.ddess Astaroth had avenged the wrong done her priestess.

CHAPTER LXVII

From the death of Rameses XIII. till the day of his burial the state was governed by the most worthy San-Amen-Herhor as high priest of the Theban Amon, and viceroy of the late pharaoh.

The government of the viceroy, lasting some months, was very prosperous for Egypt. Herhor pacified the outbreaks of the people, and, in accordance with former times, he gave the seventh day for rest to the working man. He introduced stern discipline among the priests; he extended protection to foreigners, especially Phnicians, and concluded a treaty with a.s.syria, not yielding Phnicia, however, which remained tributary to Egypt.

In the course of this short government, justice was meted out quickly, but without cruelty, and this or that man did not dare to beat an Egyptian laborer, who had the right to appeal to a court if he had time sufficient and witnesses.

Herhor occupied himself too in paying the debts which weighed on the lands of the state and the pharaoh. With this object he persuaded the Phnicians to resign a certain part of the sums due them from the treasury, and to cover the rest he drew from the labyrinth the enormous sum of thirty thousand talents.

Thanks to these measures, in the course of three months peace and prosperity were established in Egypt.

"May the rule of the viceroy, San-Amen-Herhor be blessed!" said the people. "Indeed the G.o.ds predestined him to power so as to free Egypt from misfortunes brought on by Rameses XIII., who was a woman-hunter and frivolous."

A few days sufficed the people to forget that all Herhor's acts were merely the accomplishment of plans made by the young and lofty-minded pharaoh.

In the month Tobi, when the mummy of Rameses XIII. was placed in its tomb, a great a.s.sembly of the most important personages met in the temple of Amon. There were present almost all the high priests, nomarchs, and generals of troops, and among them, covered with glory, was the gray-haired chief of the eastern army, Nitager.

In this same gigantic hall of columns, where half a year earlier the priests had judged Rameses XII., and shown dislike for Rameses XIII., those dignitaries a.s.sembled to settle the most important question of state, under the presidency of Herhor. On the 25th of Tobi, exactly at noon, Herhor, in the mitre of Amenhotep, sat on the throne; others sat in armchairs, and the council took place.

It was of wonderfully short duration, just as if the result had been arranged previously.

"High priests, nomarchs, and leaders," began Herhor. "We have a.s.sembled here on sad and important business. With the death of the eternally living Rameses XIII., whose short and stormy reign ended in a manner so unfortunate--" Here Herhor sighed.

"With Rameses XIII. perished not only a pharaoh, but the twentieth dynasty, which was full of glory."

Among those present rose a murmur.

"The dynasty has not ended," interrupted the powerful nomarch of Memphis, almost harshly. "The worthy Queen Nikotris is still living, therefore the throne belongs to her."

After a time Herhor answered: "My most worthy consort, Queen Nikotris--"