hly he understood the
management of the revenue! Since the reign of Rameses III. the treasury
has not been so well filled as now." "Psamtik comes into a fine
inheritance," lisped the courtier, and the soldier exclaimed, "Yes, but
it's to be feared that he'll not spend it in a glorious war; he's too
much under the influence of the priests." "No, you are wrong there,"
answered the temple-singer. "For some time past, our lord and master has
seemed to disdain the advice of his most faithful servants." "The
successor of such a father will find it difficult to secure universal
approbation," said the Nomarch. "It is not every one who has the
intellect, the good fortune and the wisdom of Amasis." "The gods know
that!" murmured the warrior with a sigh.

Tachot's tears flowed fast. These words were a confirmation of what they
had been trying to hide from her: she was to lose her dear father soon.

After she had made this dreadful certainty clear to her own mind, and
discovered that it was in vain to beg her attendants to carry her to her
dying father, she left off listening to the courtiers below, and began
looking at the sistrum which Bartja himself had put into her hand, and
which she had brought on to the balcony with her, as if seeking comfort
there. And she found what she sought; for it seemed to her as if the
sound of its sacred rings bore her away into a smiling, sunny landscape.

That faintness which so often comes over people in decline, had seized
her and was sweetening her last hours with pleasant dreams.

The female slaves, who stood round to fan away the flies, said afterwards
that Tachot had never looked so lovely.

She had lain about an hour in this state, when her breathing became more
difficult, a slight cough made her breast heave, and the bright red blood
trickled down from her lips on to her white robe. She awoke, and looked
surprised and disappointed on seeing the faces round her. The sight of
her mother, however, who came on to the veranda at that moment, brought a
smile to her face, and she said, "O mother, I have had such a beautiful
dream."

"Then our visit to the temple has done my dear child good?" asked the
queen, trembling at the sight of the blood on the sick girl's lips.

"Oh, yes, mother, so much! for I saw him again." Ladice's glance at the
attendants seemed to ask "Has your poor mistress lost her senses?" Tachot
understood the look and said, evidently speaking with great difficulty:
"You t