The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 150

"Hebron!"

A figure, also in a dark mantle, ran out, rushed at Rameses and clung to his neck, whispering,--

"Is it thou? is it thou? Oh, how long I have waited!"

The pharaoh felt that she was slipping from his embrace, so he took her in his arms and carried her to an arbor. At that moment the mantle fell from his shoulders; he dragged it for a while, but at last dropped it.

Next day the revered lady Nikotris summoned Tutmosis. The favorite of the pharaoh was frightened when he looked at her. The queen was terribly pale, her eyes were sunken and she was almost demented.

"Sit down!" said she, indicating a stool near her armchair.

Tutmosis hesitated.

"Sit down! And--and swear that thou wilt repeat to no one what I tell thee."

"By the shade of my father, I will not."

"Hear me," said the queen in a low voice; "I have been almost a mother to thee. Wert thou to betray this secret the G.o.ds would punish thee.

No--they would only cast on thy head a part of those misfortunes which are hanging over my family."

Tutmosis listened with astonishment.

"Is she mad?" thought he with fear.

"Look at that window," continued the queen; "look at that tree. Dost thou know whom I saw last night on that tree outside the window?"

"Could the brother of his holiness have come to Thebes?"

"It was not he," whispered she, sobbing. "It was my Rameses himself."

"On the tree? Last night?"

"Yes. The light of the lamp fell on his face and figure perfectly. He had a coat in white and blue stripes, his eyes were wandering--he laughed wildly, like his unfortunate brother, and said, 'Look at me, mother, I am able to fly now, a thing that neither Seti, nor Rameses the Great, nor Cheops could do. See what wings are growing out on me!'

He stretched his hands toward me, and I, unconscious from sorrow, touched his hands through the window and his face, covered with cold perspiration. At last he slipped down the tree and vanished."

Tutmosis listened in terror. All at once he struck his forehead.

"That was not Rameses," said he with decision. "That was a man very like him, that villain, the Greek Lykon, who killed Sarah's son, and who is now under control of the high priests. That was not Rameses.

This is a crime of Herhor and Mefres, those wretches."

Hope gleamed on the queen's face, but only for a moment.

"How could I fail to recognize my son?"

"Lykon is very like him," answered Tutmosis. "This is a trick of the priests. They are infamous! For them death is too slight a punishment."

"Did the pharaoh sleep at home last night?" inquired the lady.

Tutmosis was confused and dropped his eyes.

"So he did not sleep at home?"

"He did," answered the favorite with an uncertain voice.

"That is not true. But tell me, at least, did he not wear a coat with white and blue stripes?"

"I do not remember," whispered Tutmosis.

"Thou art telling untruth again. And this mantle, tell me if this is not my son's mantle? My slave found it on that same tree, in the branches."

The queen sprang up and brought from a case a brown, hooded mantle.

Tutmosis remembered that the pharaoh had returned after midnight without his mantle and even explained to him that he had lost it somewhere in the garden. He hesitated, meditated, but at last answered with decision,--

"No, queen, that was not the pharaoh. That was Lykon, and this is a crime of the priests which I must report to his holiness straightway."

"But if that were Rameses?" inquired the lady again, though in her eyes a spark of hope was now evident.

Tutmosis was troubled. His conclusion that it was Lykon was wise and might be true, but indications were not lacking that the queen had seen Rameses. It was certain that he had returned to his chamber after midnight; he wore a tunic with white and blue stripes, he had lost his mantle. It was true that his brother was demented, and, moreover, could a mother's heart deceive her?

And doubts rose in the soul of Tutmosis, intricate and involved as a nest of poisonous reptiles. Luckily in proportion as his doubts increased hope entered the heart of Nikotris.

"It is well that thou hast reminded me of that Lykon," said she. "I remember. Through him Mefres accused Rameses of child murder, and to-day he may use the wretch to defame his sovereign. In this case not a word to any one of what I have told thee. If Rameses--if in truth he is subject to such a misfortune, it may be temporary. We must not humiliate him by mentioning such reports, we must not inform him. If this is a plot of the priests we must also be cautious. Though people who use such deceit cannot be powerful."

"I will investigate this," interrupted Tutmosis, "but if I convince myself--"

"Do not inform Rameses--I implore thee by the shade of thy father!"

exclaimed the queen, clasping her hands. "The pharaoh would not forgive them, he would deliver them to judgment, and then one of two misfortunes would happen. Either the supreme priests of the state would be condemned to death, or the court would free them. And then what? But pursue Lykon and slay him without mercy, like a wild beast--like a reptile."

Tutmosis took farewell of the queen. She was pacified, though his fears had grown greater.

"If that villainous Greek, Lykon, is living yet, despite imprisonment by the priests," thought he, "he would prefer flight to climbing trees and showing himself to the queen. I myself would facilitate his escape, and cover him with wealth if he would tell the truth and seek protection against those wretches. But whence came the mantle? How deceive the mother?"

From that time Tutmosis avoided the pharaoh, and dared not look him in the eyes, while Rameses himself acted strangely, so their heartfelt relations seemed to grow cold somewhat.

But one evening the pharaoh summoned his favorite a second time.

"I must speak with Hiram," said he, "on questions of importance. I am going out. Watch here at my chamber, and if any man wishes to see me do not admit him."

When the pharaoh vanished in the secret corridors Tutmosis was seized by alarm.

"Maybe," thought he, "the priests have poisoned him to produce insanity; and he, feeling that an attack is coming, flees from his own palace? Ha! we shall see!"

In fact he did see. The pharaoh returned well after midnight to his chambers, and had a mantle; it was not his own, however, but a soldier's.

Tutmosis was alarmed and did not sleep till morning, thinking that the queen would summon him again on a sudden. The queen did not summon him, however. But during the morning review of the guard, the officer Eunana begged to speak with his chief for a moment.

When they were alone in a chamber Eunana fell at the feet of Tutmosis and implored the chief not to repeat what he was going to tell him.

"What has happened?" inquired the adjutant, feeling cold in his heart.