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"Well, well," said the pharaoh, slapping him on the shoulder, "do not persuade me of that which I know. I will go to Antefa to-morrow and it seems to me that in the course of a few days I shall arrange a wedding. But now Thou mayst go to thy Hebron." Left with Sem alone, his holiness said, "Thy face is gloomy. Dost Thou doubt that we may find thirteen priests to carry out my orders?"
On arriving at the palace of his father-in-law he found Antefa lying on a sofa in a room, one half of which was filled with rare plants like a garden. In the centre played a fountain of water perfumed with roses; in the comers of the room were statues of gods; on the walls were depicted the deeds of the renowned nomarch.
After concluding the conditions Tutmosis entered the court, thanked Antefa first for giving his daughter to one so unworthy, and second, because he had reared her so beautifully. It was arranged then that the ceremony of marriage would take place in a few days, since Tutmosis, as leader of the guard, had no time for protracted preliminaries.
This magnate hurried forth to meet his sovereign before the gate, and, taking the costly sandals from his feet he knelt and assisted Ramses to alight from the chariot. In return for this homage the pharaoh gave him his hand to kiss, and declared that thenceforth Antefa was his friend, and might enter even the throne hall in sandals.
"Holiness, sovereign of the western world, and of living men! As Egypt, and all that is in it belongs to thee, so this house and all its inhabitants are thy possession. Since it is thy desire that my daughter should be the wife of thy favorite, let it be so." Now the pharaoh declared to Antefa that Tutmosis had twenty talents of yearly salary, and considerable estates in various provinces.
Thereupon the worthy Antefa declared that his daughter Hebron would have fifty talents a year, also the right to make use of the estates of her father in those provinces in which the pharaoh's court sojourned for a season.
Ramses was attended by the chief scribe, the commander of the archers, the commander of the cavalry, the chief judge, the chief treasurer, Sem the high priest, and the adjutant generals. When that splendid assembly was in the hall of the ancestors of the most worthy Antefa, Hebron appeared in white robes with a numerous retinue of damsels and maids in attendance.
"This is not stupidity," replied Tutmosis, "but a crime of the priests, who have in their possession a man who resembles his holiness, and they make use of him for evil purposes." And he told the nomarch the story of the Greek Lykon, and his crime in Pi-Bast. "I have heard of this Lykon who killed the son of the heir," said Antefa.
"What woman has earned from the gods such a happiness?" "She is the beautiful Hebron, the daughter of Antefa, the most worthy nomarch of Thebes," replied Tutmosis, laughing. "If Thou wilt be pleased to speak on my behalf to that revered family I had thought to say that my love for thee would be increased, but I will not say so, for I should tell untruth."
There Hebron burned incense before the veiled statue of Amon, priestesses performed a sacred dance, and Tutmosis read the following act from a papyrus: "I, Tutmosis, commander of the guard of his holiness Ramses XIII, take thee, Hebron, daughter of Antefa the nomarch of Thebes, as wife. I give thee now the sum of ten talents because Thou hast consented to marry me.
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