of the great hall with a gaping wound on his forehead, and defending
himself bravely and stoutly with buckler and sword against the body-guard
of his own brother, who were pressing him sorely. In agonized excitement
she shouted encouraging words to him, and he seemed to hear her, for with
a strong sweep of his shield he struck his nearest antagonist to the
earth, sprang with a mighty leap into the midst of his flying adherents,
and vanished with them through the passage which led to the palace-
stables.

The queen sank fainting on her knees by the window, and, through the
gathering shades of her swoon her dulled senses still were conscious of
the trampling of horses, of a shrill trumpet-blast, and at last of a
swelling and echoing shout of triumph with cries of, "Hail: hail to the
son of the Sun--Hail to the uniter of the two kingdoms; Hail to the King
of Upper and Lower Egypt, to Euergetes the god."

But at the last words she recovered consciousness entirely and started
up. She looked down into the court again, and there saw her brother
borne along on her husband's throne-litter by dignitaries and nobles.
Side by side with the traitor's body-guard marched her own and
Philometor's Philobasilistes and Diadoches.

The magnificent train went out of the great court of the palace, and
then--as she heard the chanting of priests--she realized that she had
lost her crown, and knew whither her faithless brother was proceeding.

She ground her teeth as her fancy painted all that was now about to
happen. Euergetes was being borne to the temple of Ptah, and proclaimed
by its astonished chief-priests, as King of Upper and Lower Egypt, and
successor to Philometor. Four pigeons would be let fly in his presence