and joys, for they too are envious and spiteful!"

Again she leaned her head against the palm-tree. "Thou speakest of shame,
and not of death," said Nemu, "and I learned from thee that one should
give nothing up for lost excepting the dead."

These words had a powerful effect on the agitated woman. Quickly and
vehemently she turned upon the dwarf saying.

"You are clever, and faithful too, so listen! but if you were Amon
himself there is nothing to be done--"

"We must try," said Nemu, and his sharp eyes met those of his mistress.

"Speak," he said, "and trust me. Perhaps I can be of no use; but that I
can be silent thou knowest."

"Before long the children in the streets will talk of what this tells
me," said Katuti, laughing with bitterness, "only Nefert must know
nothing of what has happened--nothing, mind; what is that? the Regent
coming! quick, fly; tell him I am suddenly taken ill, very ill; I cannot
see him, not now! No one is to be admitted--no one, do you hear?"

The dwarf went.

When he came back after he had fulfilled his errand, he found his
mistress still in a fever of excitement.

"Listen," she said; "first the smaller matter, then the frightful, the
unspeakable. Rameses loads Mena with marks of his favor. It came to a
division of the spoils of war for the year; a great heap of treasure lay
ready for each of his followers, and the charioteer had to choose before
all the others."

"Well?" said the dwarf.

"Well!" echoed Katuti. "Well! how did the worthy householder care for his
belongings at home, how did he seek to relieve his indebted estate? It is
disgraceful, hideous! He passed by the silver, the gold, the jewels, with
a laugh; and took the captive daughter of the Danaid princes, and led her
into his tent."

"Shameful!" muttered the dwarf.

"Poor, poor Nefert!" cried Katuti, covering her face with her hands.

"And what more?" asked Nemu hastily.

"That," said Katuti, "that is--but I will keep calm--quite calm and
quiet. You know my son. He is heedless, but he loves me and his sister
more than anything in the world. I, fool as I was, to persuade him to
economy, had vividly described our evil plight, and after that
disgraceful conduct of Mena he thought of us and of our anxieties. His
share of the booty was small, and could not help us. His comrades threw
dice for the shares they had obtained--he staked his to win more for us.
He lost--all--all--and at last against an enormous sum, stil