Meneptah, who, from the moment of Masanath’s entrance into the council chamber, had begun to repent his ill-advised act, was glad to be won over.  At the end of Hotep’s impassioned story he came down from the dais, and raising Masanath, kissed her and put her into the young man’s arms.  Supplementing his pardon with command, he ordered his scribe to marry the sad little orphan at once and take her away from the scene of her sorrows till Isis restored her in spirits again.

The alacrity with which this royal command was obeyed proved how acceptable it was to the lovers.  By the next sunset they were going by a slow and sumptuous boat down the broad bosom of the Nile toward the sea, but they had no care whether or not they ever reached their destination.

After some months spent on the coast, Masanath grew stronger and began to live with much appreciation of the joys of existence.  On their return to Memphis Hotep was made fan-bearer in Har-hat’s place, and for the remaining fourteen years of Meneptah’s reign practically ruled over Egypt.

Vastly different, however, was his favoritism from the favoritism of Har-hat.  During the wise administration of the young adviser Egypt recovered something of her former glory, lost in the dreadful plague-ridden days preceding the Exodus.  The army was reorganized first, for Ta-user’s party began to make demonstrations the hour that the news of the Red Sea disaster reached the Hak-heb.  All public building and national extravagance were halted, and the surplus treasure was expended in restocking the fields and granaries and restoring commerce.  Within five years after the Exodus the great check Egypt had met in her nineteenth dynasty was not greatly apparent.

So the land recovered from the plagues, but its ruler never.  The death of Rameses lay like a heavy sin and torturing remorse on his conscience.  He wept till the feeble eyes lost their sight, but not their susceptibility to tears.  At last, succumbing to melancholia, he became a child, for whom Hotep reigned and for whom the queen cared with touching devotion.

The story of Seti is history.  It is needless to say that his rough usage at the hands of Ta-user awakened him, but it was long before he found courage to return to Io, the sweetheart of his childhood.  Yet, when he did, after the manner of her kind, she wept over him and took him back without a word of reproach.  So the fair-faced sister of Hotep came to be queen over Egypt and took another title with Nefer-ari as prefix, and the quaint Danaid name, Io, was lost to all lips but Seti’s and Hotep’s.

After Seti came to the throne he continued Hotep in the advisership and prepared to reign happily.  But in a little time the Thebaid, long disaffected, seceded from the federation of Egypt and crowned Amon-meses king of Thebes.  Seti gathered his army, marched against the rebellious district, put Amon-meses to the sword and reduced the Thebaid to submission.  Then he returned to Memphis for another space of prosperity.