and with him dost thou know what thou canst do
with these slaves? Thou canst rear Karnak in every herdsman's village;
thou canst carve the twin of Ipsambul in every rock-front that faces
the Nile; thou canst erect a pyramid tomb for thee that shall make an
infant of Khufu; thou canst build a highway from Syene to Tanis and
line it with sisters of the Sphinx; thou canst write the name of
Meneptah above every other name on the world's monuments and it shall
endure as long as stone and bronze shall last and tradition go on from
lip to lip!"

The prince paused abruptly. Meneptah was on his feet, almost in tears
at the contemplation of his pictured greatness.

"Mark ye!" the prince began again. His arm shot out and fell and the
flash of its jewels made it look like a bolt of lightning. "I would
not fall heir to Israel--and if these things are done in thy lifetime I
must build my monuments with prisoners of war!"

The old hierarch, who had been nervously rubbing the arm of his chair
during the last of the prince's speech, broke the dead silence with an
awed whisper.

"Ah, then spake the Incomparable Pharaoh!"

Meneptah put out his hand, smiling.

"No more. The way is shown, I follow, O my Rameses!"

[1] Osiris--the great god of Egypt, was overcome by Set, his body
divided and scattered over the valley of the Nile. Isis, wife of
Osiris, gathered up the remains and buried them at This or Abydos.

[2] Murket--the royal architect, an exalted office usually held by
princes of the realm.

CHAPTER VI

THE LADY MIRIAM

Meanwhile the scribe of the "double house of life," and the son of the
royal sculptor were taking comfort on the palace-top beneath the subdued
light of a hooded lamp.

The pair had spoken of all Memphis and its gossip; had given account of
themselves and had caught up with the present time in the succession of
events.

"Hotep, at thy lofty notch of favor, one must have the wisdom of Toth,"
Kenkenes observed, adding with a laugh, "mark thou, I have compared thee
with no mortal."

Hotep shook his head.

"Nay, any man may fill my position so he but knows when to hold his
tongue and what to say when he wags it."

"O, aye," the sculptor admitted in good-natured irony. "Those be simple
qualifications and easy to combine."

The scribe smiled.

"Mine is no arduous labor now. During my years of apprenticeship I was
sorely put to it, but now I have only to wait upon the king and look