a gad, tickle them
with processions and awe them with manifestations. So if it were to
come over the spirit of this Hebrew to betray the mysteries, to scout
the faith and overturn the gods, he would have rabble Egypt following
at his heels.

"As the writing saith, he hath the destruction of the state in mind,
and his own aggrandizement. He but beginneth on the faith because he
seeth in that a rift wherein to put the lever that shall pry the whole
state asunder. So with two and a half millions of Hebrews and a horde
of renegade Egyptians to combat, I fear the Rameside army might spill
more good blood than is worth wasting on a mongrel multitude. The
rabble without a leader is harmless. Cut off the head of the monster,
and there is neither might nor danger in the trunk. Put away Mesu, and
the insurrection will subside utterly."

The priest paused and Meneptah stroked the polished coping of the panel
before him with a nervous hand. There was complete silence for a
moment, broken at last by the king.

"Mesu, though a Hebrew, an infidel and a malefactor, is a prince of the
realm, my foster-brother--Neferari's favorite son. I can not rid
myself of him on provocation as yet misty and indirect."

"Nay," he added after another pause, "he shall not die by hand of
mine." The prelate raised his head and met the eyes of the king.
After he read what lay therein, the dissatisfaction that had begun to
show on his ancient face faded.

The Pharaoh settled back into his seat and his brow cleared as if the
problem had been settled. But suddenly he sat up.

"What have I profited by this council? Shall I take the army or leave
it distributed over Egypt?" He stopped abruptly and turned to the
crown prince. "Help us, my Rameses," he said in a softer tone. "We
had well-nigh forgotten thee."

Rameses raised himself from the back of his cathedra, against which he
lounged, and moved a step forward.

"A word, my father," he said calmly. "Thy perplexity hath not been
untangled for thee, nor even a thread pulled which shall start it
raveling. The priesthood can kill Mesu," he said to Loi, "and it will
do them no hurt. And thou, my father, canst countenance it and seem no
worse than any other monarch that loved his throne. Thus ye will
decapitate the monster. But there be creatures in the desert which,
losing one head, grow another. Mesu is not of such exalted or
supernatural villainy that they can not fill his place. W