"But I will be heard!" he exclaimed violently. "Hear me! I pray thee,
Son of Ptah!"
Meneptah removed the wetted pen and waited.
"Thou didst give the maiden to me thyself!" he began precipitately. "Thy document of gift I have yet. He stole her, hid her away, committed sacrilege and abused two of my servants nigh unto death when they sought for her. Hath he any more right to her than I? Art thou assured that he hath an honorable purpose in mind for her? She is comely and well instructed in service, and I would have put her in my daughter's train, even as the Hebrew Miriam was lady-in-waiting to Neferari Thermuthis. If thou dost examine the records of the petitions to thee thou wilt find that I asked her expressly for household service. It is false that I had any other purpose in mind.
"As to the signet," he continued breathlessly, "there is no word upon it concerning the palliation of a triple crime! Shall we invoke the king in the blameless name of the holy One, and demand forgiveness in the name of Him who forgiveth no sin? Furthermore, thou didst give the writing into my hands, and in obedience to thy command, I acted as I thought best. My purposes have been wilfully distorted!"
Meneptah frowned with perplexity. But while he pondered, Ta-user drew near to him and said to him very softly:
"If his words be true, O my Sovereign, one lovely Israelite is as serviceable as another. The young man loves this maiden. Doubt it not! He is a worthy off-spring of that noble sire, Mentu. If he offended, he hath suffered sufficiently. Let him go, I pray thee."
"It is my word against her surmises, O Meneptah," Har-hat insisted.
The king frowned more and stroked his cheek.
"Thine anger should be abated by this time, Har-hat," he said feebly.
"His rebellion is not yet broken. I have not the slave yet," the fan-bearer retorted.