"If that villainous Greek, Lykon, is living yet, despite imprisonment by the priests," thought he, "he would prefer flight to climbing trees and showing himself to the queen. I myself would facilitate his escape, and cover him with wealth if he would tell the truth and seek protection against those wretches. But whence came the mantle? How deceive the mother?"
From that time Tutmosis avoided the pharaoh, and dared not look him in the eyes, while Ramses himself acted strangely, so their heartfelt relations seemed to grow cold somewhat.
But one evening the pharaoh summoned his favorite a second time.
"I must speak with Hiram," said he, "on questions of importance. I am going out. Watch here at my chamber, and if any man wishes to see me do not admit him."
When the pharaoh vanished in the secret corridors Tutmosis was seized by alarm.
"Maybe," thought he, "the priests have poisoned him to produce insanity; and he, feeling that an attack is coming, flees from his own palace? Ha! we shall see!"
In fact he did see. The pharaoh returned well after midnight to his chambers, and had a mantle; it was not his own, however, but a soldier's.
Tutmosis was alarmed and did not sleep till morning, thinking that the queen would summon him again on a sudden. The queen did not summon him, however. But during the morning review of the guard, the officer Eunana begged to speak with his chief for a moment.
When they were alone in a chamber Eunana fell at the feet of Tutmosis and implored the chief not to repeat what he was going to tell him.
"What has happened?" inquired the adjutant, feeling cold in his heart.