orthy Herhor halted, thought over something; at
last instead of going to his own dwelling he went to Queen Niort's.

In the garden there were neither women nor children, but from the
scattered villas came groans. Those were from women belonging to the
house of the late pharaoh who were lamenting that sovereign who had
gone to the west. Their sorrow, it seemed, was sincere.

Meanwhile the supreme judge entered the cabinet of the new pharaoh.

"What hast Thou to tell me, worthiness?" asked Ramses.

"Some days ago an unusual thing happened near Thebes," replied the
judge. "A laborer killed his wife and three children and drowned
himself in the sacred lake."

"Had he gone mad?"

"It seems that his act was caused by hunger."

The pharaoh grew thoughtful.

"A strange event," said he, "but I wish to hear of something else. What
crimes happen most commonly in these days?"

The supreme judge hesitated.

"Speak boldly," said the pharaoh, now grown impatient, "and hide
nothing from me. I know that Egypt has fallen into a morass; I wish to
draw it out, hence I must know everything."

"The most usual crimes are revolts. But only common people revolt,"
added the judge, hastily.

"I am listening," said the pharaoh.

"In Kosem a regiment of masons and stone-cutters revolted recently; for
some time needful supplies had been refused them. In Sechem earth-
tillers killed a scribe who was collecting taxes. In Melcatis and Pi-
Hebit also earth-tillers wrecked the houses of Phoenician tenants. At
Kasa they refused to repair the canal, declaring that pay from the
treasury was clue them for that labor. Finally in the porphyry quarries
the convicts killed their overseers and tried to escape in a body to
the seacoast."

"This news does not surprise me," replied the pharaoh. "But what dost
Thou think?"

"It is necessary first of all to punish the guilty."

"But I think it necessary first of all to give laborers what belongs to
them. A hungry ox will lie down; a hungry horse will totter on his feet
and pant. How, then, can we ask a hungry man to work and not declare
that he is suffering?"

"Then, holiness."

"Pentuer will open a council to investigate these matters," interrupted
the pharaoh. "Meanwhile I have no desire to punish."

"In that case a general insurrection will break out," cried the judge,
in alarm.

The pharaoh rested his chin on his hands and considered,

"Well," said he, after a while, "let the courts do