"Wisdom of men like thee, O prophet, will bring more good to the state than an army," interrupted the high priest.
Pentuer bent before him and continued,
"In this new figure which represents the present army of the pharaoh ye see, worthy men, besides the ruddy color which designates Egyptians by blood, three other stripes, black, white, and yellow. They represent mercenary divisions, Ethiopians, Asiatics, Greeks, and Libyans. There are thirty thousand of them altogether, but they cost as much as fifty thousand Egyptians."
"We must do away with foreign regiments at the earliest," said Me f res. "They are costly, unsuitable, and teach our people infidelity and insolence. At present there are many Egyptians who do not fall on their faces before the priests; more, some of them have gone so far as to steal from graves and temples."
"Therefore away with the mercenaries!" said Mefres, passionately. "The country has received from them nothing save harm, and our neighbors suspect us of hostile ideas."
"Away with mercenaries! Dismiss these unruly infidels!" cried the priests.
"When in years to come, O Ramses, Thou wilt ascend the throne," added
Mefres, "Thou wilt fulfill this sacred duty to the gods and to Egypt."
"Yes, fulfill it! free thy people from unbelievers!" cried the priests.
Ramses bent his head, and was silent. The blood flew to his heart. He felt that the ground was trembling under him.
He was to dismiss the best part of the army, he, who would like to have twice as great an army and four times as many mercenary warriors.