It
may be important, and I know not from whom it is. I promised Hotep it
should be given honest attention."
For seven days thereafter every letter sent by the king was written by
Hotep. At the end of that time he met Meneptah again, and bending low
before him, asked pardon for his insistence, and begged to know what
disposition the Son of Ptah had made of the petition of his friend. He
was irritably informed that the matter had been given over to the
fan-bearer for attention, since the Pharaoh had been too oppressed with
heavier matters to read the letter.
The state of the scribe's mind, after receiving the information, was
indescribable.
He controlled himself before Meneptah, but he suffered no curb upon his
feelings when he had returned to his own apartments. After a long time
he succeeded in choking his anger, disgust and grief, realizing that
each moment must be turned to account rather than wasted in railing.
He viewed the situation with enforced calm. Har-hat was in full
possession of the facts. He had the signet and was absolute master of
Meneptah. The Hathors had surrendered Kenkenes wholly into the hands
of his enemy. Furthermore, the fate of the Israelite seemed to be
sealed.
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