sible, here or
anywhere, to let so much as a grain of dust rest on my bright good name.
I shall follow up this affair, turning neither to the right hand nor to
the left.--And now, one question: Is the dog that guarded the tablinum a
watchful, savage beast?"

"How savage he is he unfortunately proved on the person of the poor
Persian slave; and his watchfulness is known to all the household,"
cried Orion.

"But I would beg you, worthy merchant," said Neforis, "and in the name
of all present, to give us the help of your experience. I myself--wait a
little wait: in spite of her long hair and her short wits a woman often
has a happy idea. I, probably, was the first to come on the robber's
track. It is clear that he must belong to the household since the dog
did not attack him. Paula, who was so wonderfully quick in coming to the
rescue of the Persian, is of course not to be thought of..."

Here her husband interrupted her with an angry exclamation: "Leave the
girl quite out of the question wife!"

"As if I supposed her to be the thief!" retorted Neforis indignantly,
and she shrugged her shoulders as Orion, in mild reproach, also cried:
"Mother! consider..." and the merchant asked:

"Do you mean the young girl from whom I had to take such hard words last
night?--Well, then, I will stake my whole fortune on her innocence. That
beautiful, passionate creature is incapable of any underhand dealings."

"Passionate!" Neforis smiled. "Her heart is as cold and as hard as the
lost emerald; we have proved that by experience."

"Nevertheless," said Orion, "she is incapable of baseness."

"How zealous men can be for a pair of fine eyes!" interrupted his
mother. "But I have not the most remote suspicion of her; I have
something quite different in my mind. A pair of man's shoes were found
lying by the wounded girl. Did you do what my lord Orion ordered,
Sebek?"

"At once, Mistress," replied the steward, "and I have been expecting the
captain of the watch for some time; for Psamtik...."

But here he was interrupted: the officer in question, who for more than
twenty years had commanded the Mukaukas' guard of honor, was shown
into the room; after answering a few preliminary enquiries he began his
report in a voice so loud that it hurt the governor, and his wife was
obliged to request the soldier to speak more gently.

The bloodhounds and terriers had been let out after being allowed to
smell at the shoes, and a couple of them ha