by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER IX.
A STARTLING EVENT.
It was some days later that Chebron and Amuba again paid a visit tothe temple by moonlight. It was well-nigh a month since they had beenthere; for, save when the moon was up, the darkness and gloom of thecourts, lighted only by the lamps of the altars, was so great that theplace offered no attractions. Amuba, free from the superstitions whichinfluenced his companion, would have gone with him had he proposed it,although he too felt the influence of the darkness and the dim, weirdfigures of the gods, seen but faintly by the lights that burned attheir feet. But to Chebron, more imaginative and easily affected,there was something absolutely terrible in the gloomy darkness, andnothing would have induced him to wander in the silent courts savewhen the moon threw her light upon them.
On entering one of the inner courts they found a massive door in thewall standing ajar.
"Where does this lead to?" Amuba asked.
"I do not know. I have never seen it open before. I think it must havebeen left unclosed by accident. We will see where it leads to."
Opening it they saw in front of them a flight of stairs in thethickness of the wall.
"It leads up to the roof," Chebron said in surprise. "I knew not therewere any stairs to the roof, for when repairs are needed the workmenmount by ladders."
"Let us go up, Chebron; it will be curious to look down upon thecourts."
"Yes, but we must be careful, Amuba; for, did any below catch sight ofus, they might spread an alarm."
"We need only stay there a minute or two," Amuba urged. "There are sofew about that we are not likely to be seen, for if we walknoiselessly none are likely to cast their eyes so far upward."
So saying Amuba led the way up the stairs, and Chebron somewhatreluctantly followed him. They felt their way as they went, and aftermounting for a considerable distance found that the stairs ended in anarrow passage, at the end of which was an opening scarce three feethigh and just wide enough for a man to pass through. This evidentlyopened into the outer air, as sufficient light passed through toenable them to see where they were standing. Amuba crept out throughthe opening at the end. Beyond was a ledge a foot wide; beyond thatrose a dome some six feet high and eight or ten feet along the ledge.
"Come on, Chebron; there is plenty of room for both of us," he said,looking backward. Chebron at once joined him.
"Where can we be?" Amuba asked. "There is the sky overhead. We aretwenty feet from the top of the wall, and where this ledge ends, justbefore it gets to the sides of this stone, it seems to go straightdown."
Chebron looked round him.
"This must be the head of one of the statues," he said after a pause."What a curious place! I wonder what it can have been made for. See,there is a hole here!"
Just in front of them was an opening of some six inches in diameter inthe stone.
Amuba pushed his hand down.
"It seems to go a long way down," he said; "but it is narrowing," andremoving his arm he looked down the hole.
"There is an opening at the other end," he said; "a small narrow slit.It must have been made to enable any one standing here to see down,though I don't think they could see much through so small a hole. Ishould think, Chebron, if this is really the top of the head of one ofthe great figures, that slit must be where his lips are. Don't youthink so?"
Chebron agreed that it was probable.
"In that case," Amuba went on, "I should say that this hole must bemade to allow the priests to give answers through the mouth of theimage to supplications made to it. I have heard that the imagessometimes gave answers to the worshipers. Perhaps this is the secretof it."
Chebron was silent. The idea was a painful one to him; for if thiswere so, it was evident that trickery was practiced.
"I think we had better go," he said at last. "We have done wrong incoming up here."
"Let me peep over the side first," Amuba said. "It seems to me that Ican hear voices below."
But the projection of the head prevented his seeing anything beyond.Returning he put his foot in the hole and raised himself sufficientlyto get on the top of the stone, which was here so much flattened thatthere was no risk of falling off. Leaning forward he looked over theedge. As Amuba had guessed would be the case, he found himself on thehead of the principal idol in the temple. Gathered round the altar atits foot were seven or eight men, all of whom he knew by the whitenessof their garment to be priests. Listening intently he coulddistinctly hear their words. After waiting a minute he crawled back.
"Come up here, Chebron; there is something important going on."
Chebron joined him, and the two, lying close together, looked down atthe court.
"I tell you we must do away with him," one of the group below said intones louder than had been hitherto used. "You know as well as I dothat his heart is not in the worship of the gods. He has already shownhimself desirous of all sorts of innovations, and unless we takematters in our hands there is no saying to what lengths he may go. Hemight shatter the very worship of the gods. It is no use to try tooverthrow him openly; for he has the support of the king, and theefforts that have been made have not in any way shaken his position.Therefore he must die. It will be easy to put him out of the way.There are plenty of small chambers and recesses which he might beinduced to enter on some pretext or other, and then be slain withoutdifficulty, and his body taken away by night and thrown into some ofthe disused catacombs.
"It would be a nine days' wonder when he was missed, but no one couldever learn the truth of his disappearance. I am ready to kill him withmy own hands, and should regard the deed as one most pleasing to thegods. Therefore if you are ready to undertake the other arrangements,and two of you will join me in seeing that the deed is carried outwithout noise or outcry, I will take the matter in hand. I hate him,with his airs of holiness and his pretended love for the people.Besides, the good of our religion requires that he shall die."
There was a chorus of approbation from the others.
"Leave me to determine the time and place," the speaker went on, "andthe excuse on which we will lead him to his doom. Those who will notbe actually engaged with me in the business must be in the precinctsof the place, and see that no one comes that way, and make some excuseor other should a cry by chance be heard, and must afterward set onfoot all sorts of rumors to account for his actions. We can settlenothing to-night; but there is no occasion for haste, and on the thirdnight hence we will again gather here."
Chebron touched Amuba, and the two crept back to where they had beenstanding on the ledge.
"The villains are planning a murder in the very temple!" Chebron said."I will give them a fright;" and applying his mouth to the orifice hecried:
"Beware, sacrilegious wretches! Your plots shall fail and ruin fallupon you!"
"Come on, Chebron!" Amuba exclaimed, pulling his garment. "Some of thefellows may know the secret of this statue, and in that case they willkill us without mercy if they find us here."
Passing through the opening they groped their way to the top of thestairs, hurried down these as fast as they could in the darkness, andissued out from the door.
"I hear footsteps!" Amuba exclaimed as they did so. "Run for yourlife, Chebron!"
Just as they left the court they heard the noise of angry voices andhurried footsteps close by. At full speed they ran through severalcourts and apartments.
"We had better hide, Amuba."
"It will be no use trying to do that. They will guard the entrancegates, give the alarm, and set all the priests on duty in the templein search. No, come along quickly. They cannot be sure that it is wewho spoke to them, and will probably wait until one has ascended thestairs to see that no one is lurking there. I think we are safe forthe moment; but there are no good hiding-places. I think you hadbetter walk straight to the entrance, Chebron. Your presence here isnatural enough, and those they post at the gates would let you passout without suspicion. I will try and find myself a hiding-place."
"I
certainly will not do that, Amuba. I am not going to run away andleave you in the scrape, especially as it was I who got us into it bymy rashness."
"Is there any place where workmen are engaged on the walls?" Amubaasked suddenly.
"Yes, in the third court on the right after entering," Chebronreplied. "They are repainting the figures on the upper part of thewall. I was watching them at work yesterday."
"Then in that case there must be some ladders. With them we might getaway safely. Let us make for the court at once, but tread noiselessly,and if you hear a footstep approaching hide in the shadow behind thestatue. Listen! they are giving the alarm. They know that their numberwould be altogether insufficient to search this great templethoroughly."
Shouts were indeed heard, and the lads pressed on toward the courtChebron had spoken of. The temple now was echoing with sounds, for thepriests on duty, who had been asleep as usual when not engaged inattending to the lights, had now been roused by one of their number,who ran in and told them some sacrilegious persons had made their wayinto the temple.
"Here is the place," Chebron said, stopping at the foot of the wall.
Here two or three long light ladders were standing. Some of thesereached part of the distance only up the walls, but the top of onecould be seen against the skyline.
"Mount, Chebron! There is no time to loose. They may be here at anymoment."
Chebron mounted, followed closely by his companion. Just as he gainedthe top of the wall several men carrying torches ran into the courtand began to search along the side lying in shadow. Just as Amubajoined Chebron one of the searchers caught sight of them, and with ashout ran toward the ladder.
"Pull, Chebron!" Amuba exclaimed as he tried to haul up the ladder.
Chebron at once assisted him, and the foot of the ladder was alreadymany feet above the ground before the men reached it. The height ofthe wall was some fifty feet, and light as was the construction of theladder, it was as much as the lads could do to pull it up to the top.The wall was fully twelve feet in thickness, and as soon as the ladderwas up Amuba said:
"Keep away from the edge, Chebron, or it is possible that in thisbright moonlight we may be recognized. We must be going on at once.They will tie the short ladders together and be after us directly."
"Which way shall we go?"
"Toward the outer wall, as far as possible from the gate. Bring theladder along."
Taking it upon their shoulders they hurried along. Critical as theposition was, Amuba could not help remarking on the singularity ofthe scene. The massive walls were all topped with white cement andstretched like broad ribbons, crossing and recrossing each other inregular parallelograms on a black ground.
Five minutes' running took them to the outer wall, and the ladder wasagain lowered and they descended, and then stood at its foot for amoment to listen. Everything was still and silent.
"It is lucky they did not think of sending men to watch outside thewalls when they first caught sight of us, or we should have beencaptured. I expect they thought of nothing but getting down the otherladders and fastening them together. Let us make straight out and getwell away from the temple, and then we will return to your house atour leisure. We had better get out of sight if we can before ourpursuers find the top of the ladder, then as they will have no idea inwhich direction we have gone they will give up the chase."
After an hour's walking they reached home. On the way they haddiscussed whether or not Chebron should tell Ameres what had takenplace, and had agreed that it would be best to be silent.
"Your father would not like to know that you have discovered thesecret of the image, Chebron. If it was not for that I should say youhad best have told him. But I do not see that it would do any goodnow. We do not know who the men were who were plotting or whom theywere plotting against. But one thing is pretty certain, they will nottry to carry out their plans now, for they cannot tell how much oftheir conversation was overheard, and their fear of discovery will putan end for the present to this scheme of theirs."
Chebron agreed with Amuba's views, and it was decided to say nothingabout the affair unless circumstances occurred which might alter theirintentions. They entered the house quietly and reached their apartmentwithout disturbing any of the inmates.
On the following morning one of the priests of the temple arrived atan early hour and demanded to see Ameres.
"I have evil tidings to give you, my lord," he said. "Your son Necohas this morning been killed."
"Neco killed?" Ameres repeated.
"It is, alas! but too true, my lord. He left the house where he liveswith two other priests but a short distance from the gate of thetemple at his usual hour. It was his turn to offer the sacrifices atdawn, and it must have been still dark when he left the house. As hedid not arrive at the proper time a messenger was sent to fetch him,and he found him lying dead but a few paces from his own door, stabbedto the heart."
Ameres waved his hand to signify that he would be alone, and sat downhalf-stunned by the sudden shock.
Between himself and his eldest son there was no great affection. Necowas of a cold and formal disposition, and although Ameres would in hisown house have gladly relaxed in his case, as he had done in that ofChebron, the rigid respect and deference demanded by Egyptian customon the part of sons toward their father, Neco had never responded tohis advances and had been punctilious in all the observances practicedat the time. Except when absolutely commanded to do so, he had nevertaken a seat in his father's presence, had never addressed him unlessspoken to, had made his appearance only at stated times to pay hisrespects to him, and when dismissed had gladly hurried away to thepriest who acted as his tutor.
As he grew up the gap had widened instead of closing. Ameres saw withregret that his mind was narrow and his understanding shallow, that inmatters of religion he was bigoted; while at the same time heperceived that his extreme zeal in the services of the temple, hisabsorption in ceremonial observances of all kinds, were due in noslight degree to ambition, and that he was endeavoring to obtainreputation for distinguished piety with a view to succeeding some dayto the office of high priest. He guessed that the eagerness with whichNeco embraced the first opportunity of withdrawing himself from hishome and joining two other young priests in their establishment wasdue to a desire to disassociate himself from his father, and thus tomake an unspoken protest against the latitude of opinion that hadraised up a party hostile to Ameres.
Although living so close it was very seldom that he had, after onceleaving the house, again entered it; generally choosing a time whenhis father was absent and so paying his visits only to his mother.Still the news of his sudden death was a great shock, and Ameres satwithout moving for some minutes until a sudden outburst of cries inthe house betokened that the messenger had told his tidings to theservants, and that these had carried them to their mistress. Ameres atonce went to his wife's apartment and endeavored to console her, butwholly without success.
Amense was frantic with grief. Although herself much addicted to thepleasures of the world, she had the highest respect for religion, andthe ardor of Neco in the discharge of his religious duties had been asource of pride and gratification to her. Not only was it pleasant tohear her son spoken of as one of the most rising of the youngpriesthood, but she saw that he would make his way rapidly and wouldere long become the recognized successor to his father's office.Chebron and Mysa bore the news of their brother's death with much moreresignation. For the last three years they had scarcely seen him, andeven when living at home there had been nothing in common between himand them. They were indeed more awed by the suddenness of his deaththan grieved at his loss.
When he left them Ameres went at once to the house of Neco to makefurther inquiries into the matter. There he could learn nothing thatcould afford any clew. Neco had been late at the temple and had notreturned until long after the rest of the household were in bed, andnone had seen him before he left in the morning. No sound of astruggle or cry for help had been hear
d. His death had apparently beeninstantaneous. He had been stabbed in the back by some one who hadprobably been lurking close to the door awaiting his coming out.
The general opinion there and in the temple was that he must havefallen a victim to a feeling of revenge on the part of some attendantin the building who on his report had undergone disgrace andpunishment for some fault of carelessness or inattention in theservices or in the care of the sacred animals. As a score ofattendants had at one time or other been so reported by Neco, forhe was constantly on the lookout for small irregularities, it wasimpossible to fix the crime on one more than another.
The magistrates, who arrived soon after Ameres to investigate thematter, called the whole of those who could be suspected of harboringill-will against Neco to be brought before them and questioned as totheir doings during the night. All stoutly asserted that they had beenin bed at the time of the murder, and nothing occurred to throw asuspicion upon one more than another. As soon as the investigation wasconcluded Ameres ordered the corpse to be brought to his own house.
C. of B. AMENSE AND MYSA BEWAIL THE DEATH OF NECO.--Page 175.]
Covered by white cloths it was placed on a sort of sledge. This wasdrawn by six of the attendants of the temple; Ameres and Chebronfollowed behind, and after them came a procession of priests. When itarrived at the house, Amense and Mysa, with their hair unbound andfalling around them, received the body--uttering loud cries oflamentation, in which they were joined by all the women of the house.It was carried into an inner apartment, and there until evening a loudwailing was kept up, many female relatives and friends coming in andjoining in the outcry. Late in the evening the body was taken out,placed upon another sledge, and, followed by the male relatives andfriends and by all the attendants and slaves of the house, was carriedto the establishment of Chigron the embalmer. During the forty daysoccupied by the process the strictest mourning was observed in thehouse. No meat or wheaten bread was eaten, nor wine served at thetable--even the luxury of the bath was abandoned. All the males shavedtheir eyebrows, and sounds of loud lamentation on the part of thewomen echoed through the house.
At the end of that time the mummy was brought back in great state, andplaced in the room which was in all large Egyptian houses set apartfor the reception of the dead. The mummy-case was placed uprightagainst the wall. Here sacrifices similar to those offered at thetemple were made. Ameres himself and a number of the priests of therank of those decorated with leopard skins took part of the services.Incense and libation were offered. Amense and Mysa were present at theceremony, and wailed with their hair in disorder over their shouldersand dust sprinkled on their heads. Oil was poured over the head of themummy, and after the ceremony was over Amense and Mysa embraced themummied body, bathing its feet with their tears and utteringexpressions of grief and praises of the deceased.
In the evening a feast was held in honor of the dead. On this occasionthe signs of grief were laid aside, and the joyful aspect of thedeparture of the dead to a happy existence prevailed. A large numberof friends and relatives were present. The guests were anointed anddecked with flowers, as was usual at these parties, and after the mealthe mummy was drawn through the room in token that his spirit wasstill present among them. Amense would fain have kept the mummy forsome time in the house, as was often the practice, but Amerespreferred that the funeral should take place at once.
Three days later the procession assembled and started from the house.First came servants bearing tables laden with fruit, cakes, flowers,vases of ointment, wine, some young geese in a crate for sacrifice,chairs, wooden tables, napkins, and other things. Then came otherscarrying small closets containing the images of the gods; they alsocarried daggers, bows, sandals, and fans, and each bore a napkin uponhis shoulder. Then came a table with offerings and a chariot drawn bya pair of horses, the charioteer driving them as he walked behind thechariot. Then came the bearers of a sacred boat and the mysterious eyeof Horus, the god of stability. Others carried small images of bluepottery representing the deceased under the form of Osiris, and thebird emblematic of the soul. Then eight women of the class of paidmourners came along beating their breasts, throwing dust upon theirheads, and uttering loud lamentations. Ameres, clad in a leopard skin,and having in his hands the censer and vase of libation, accompaniedby his attendants bearing the various implements used in the services,and followed by a number of priests also clad in leopard skins, nowcame along. Immediately behind them followed the consecrated boatplaced upon a sledge, and containing the mummy-case in a largeexterior case covered with paintings. It was drawn by four oxen andseven men. In the boat Amense and Mysa were seated. The sledge wasdecked with flowers, and was followed by Chebron and other relativesand friends of the deceased, beating their breasts and lamentingloudly.
When they arrived at the sacred lake, which was a large piece ofartificial water, the coffin was taken from the small boat in which ithad been conveyed and placed in the baris, or consecrated boat of thedead. This was a gorgeously painted boat with a lofty cabin. Amense,Mysa, and Chebron took their places here. It was towed by a large boatwith sails and oars. The members of the procession then took theirplaces in other richly decorated sailing boats, and all crossed thelake together. The procession was then reformed and went in the sameorder to the tomb. Here the mummy-case was placed on the slab preparedfor it, and a sacrifice with libation and incense offered. The door ofthe tomb was then closed, but not fastened, as sacrificial serviceswould be held there periodically for many years. The procession thenreturned on foot to the house.
During all this time no certain clew had been obtained as to theauthors of the murder. Upon going up to the temple on the day ofNeco's death Chebron found all sorts of rumors current. The affair ofthe previous night had been greatly magnified, and it was generallybelieved that a strong party of men had entered the temple with theintention of carrying off the sacred vessels, but that they had beendisturbed just as they were going to break into the subterraneanapartments where these were kept, and had then fled to the ladders andescaped over the wall before a sufficient force could be collected todetain them. It was generally supposed that this affair was in someway connected with the death of Neco. Upon Chebron's return with thisnews he and Amuba agreed that it was necessary to inform Ameres atonce of their doings on the previous night. After the evening mealwas over Ameres called Chebron into his study.
"Have you heard aught in the temple, Chebron, as to this strangeaffair that took place there last night? I cannot see how it can haveany connection with your brother's death; still, it is strange. Haveyou heard who first discovered these thieves last night? Some say thatit was Ptylus, though what he should be doing there at that hour Iknow not. Four or five others are named by priests as having arousedthem; but curiously not one of these is in the temple to-day. I havereceived a letter from Ptylus saying that he has been suddenly calledto visit some relations living on the seashore near the mouths of theNile. The others sent similar excuses. I have sent to their houses,but all appear to have left at an early hour this morning. This ismost strange, for none notified to me yesterday that they had occasionto be absent. What can be their motive in thus running away whennaturally they would obtain praise and honor for having saved thevessels of the temple? Have you heard anything that would seem tothrow any light upon the subject?"
"I have heard nothing, father; but I can tell you much. I should havespoken to you the first thing this morning had it not been for thenews about Neco." Chebron then related to Ameres how he and Amuba hadthe night before visited the temple, ascended the stairs behind theimage of the god, and overheard a plot to murder some unknown person.
"This is an extraordinary tale, Chebron," Ameres said when he hadbrought his story to a conclusion. "You certainly would have beenslain had you been overtaken. How the door that led to the staircasecame to be open I cannot imagine. The place is only used on very rareoccasions, when it is deemed absolutely necessary that we shouldinfluence in one direction or another th
e course of events. I can onlysuppose that when last used, which is now some months since, the doormust have been carelessly fastened, and that it only now opened ofitself. Still, that is a minor matter, and it is fortunate that itis you who made the discovery. As to this conspiracy you say youoverheard, it is much more serious. To my mind the sudden absence ofPtylus and the others would seem to show that they were conscious ofguilt. Their presence in the temple so late was in itself singular;and, as you say, they cannot know how much of their conversation wasoverheard. Against whom their plot was directed I can form no idea;though, doubtless, it was a personage of high importance."
"You do not think, father," Chebron said hesitatingly, "that the plotcould have been to murder Neco? This is what Amuba and I thought whenwe talked it over this afternoon."
"I do not think so," Ameres said after a pause. "It is hardly likelythat four or five persons would plot together to carry out the murderof one in his position; it must be some one of far greater importance.Neco may not have been liked, but he was certainly held in esteem byall the priests in the temple."
"You see, father," Chebron said, "that Ptylus is an ambitious man, andmay have hoped at some time or other to become high priest. Neco wouldhave stood in his way, for, as the office is hereditary, if the eldestson is fitted to undertake it, Neco would almost certainly beselected."
"That is true, Chebron, but I have no reason to credit Ptylus withsuch wickedness; beside, he would hardly take other people into hisconfidence did he entertain such a scheme. Moreover, knowing thatthey were overheard last night, although they cannot tell how much mayhave been gathered by the listener, they would assuredly not havecarried the plan into execution; besides which, as you say, no planwas arrived at, and after the whole temple was disturbed they wouldhardly have met afterward and arranged this fresh scheme of murder.No. If Neco was killed by them, it must have been that they suspectedthat he was one of those who overheard them. His figure is not unlikeyours. They may probably have obtained a glimpse of you on the walls,and have noticed your priest's attire. He was in the temple late, andprobably left just before you were discovered. Believing, then, thatthey were overheard, and thinking that one of the listeners was Neco,they decided for their own safety to remove him. Of course it is mereassumption that Ptylus was one of those you overheard last night. Hisabsence to-day is the only thing we have against him, and that aloneis wholly insufficient to enable us to move in the matter. The wholeaffair is a terrible mystery; be assured I will do my best to unravelit. At present, in any case, we can do nothing. Ptylus and the fourpriests who are absent will doubtless return when they find that noaccusation is laid against them. They will suppose that the otherperson who overheard them, whoever he was, is either afraid to comeforward, or perhaps heard only a few words and is ignorant of theidentity of the speakers. Indeed, he would be a bold man who wouldventure to prefer so terrible an accusation against five of thepriests of the temple. I do not blame you in the matter, for you couldnot have foreseen the events that have happened. It was the will ofthe gods that you should have learned what you have learned; perhapsthey intend some day that you shall be their instrument for bringingthe guilty to justice. As to the conspiracy, no doubt, as you say, theplot, against whomsoever it was directed, will be abandoned, for theywill never be sure as to how much is known of what passed betweenthem, and whether those who overheard them may not be waiting for thecommission of the crown to denounce them. In the meantime you will onno account renew your visit to the temple or enter it at any time,except when called upon to do so by your duties."
The very day after Neco's funeral Mysa and her mother were thrown intoa flutter of excitement by a message which arrived from Bubastes. Somemonths before the sacred cat of the great temple there--a cat held inas high honor in Lower Egypt as the bull Apis in the Thebaid--hadfallen sick, and, in spite of the care and attendance lavished uponit, had died. The task of finding its successor was an important andarduous one, and, like the bull of Apis, it was necessary not onlythat the cat should be distinguished for its size and beauty, but thatit should bear certain markings. Without these particular markings nocat could be elevated to the sacred post, even if it remained vacantfor years; therefore as soon as the cat was dead a party of priestsset out from Bubastes to visit all the cities of Egypt in search ofits successor.
The whole country was agitated with the question of the sacred cat,and at each town they visited lists were brought to the priests of allthe cats which, from size, shape, and color, could be considered ascandidates for the office. As soon as one of the parties of thepriests had reached Thebes Amense had sent to them a description ofMysa's great cat Paucis. Hitherto Amense had evinced no interestwhatever in her daughter's pets, seldom going out into the garden,except to sit under the shade of the trees near the fountain for ashort time in the afternoon when the sun had lost its power.
In Paucis, indeed, she had taken some slight interest; because, inthe first place, it was only becoming that the mistress of the houseshould busy herself as to the welfare of animals deemed so sacred;and in the second, because all who saw Paucis agreed that it wasremarkable alike in size and beauty, and the presence of such acreature in the house was in itself a source of pride and dignity.Thus, then, she lost no time in sending a message to the priestsinviting them to call and visit her and inspect the cat. Although, asa rule, the competitors for the post of sacred cat of Bubastes werebrought in baskets by their owners for inspection, the priests werewilling enough to pay a visit in person to the wife of so important aman as the high priest of Osiris.
Amense received them with much honor, presented Mysa to them as theowner of the cat, and herself accompanied the priests in their visitto the home of Mysa's pets. Their report was most favorable. They had,since they left Bubastes, seen no cat approaching Paucis in size andbeauty, and although her markings were not precisely correct, they yetapproximated very closely to the standard. They could say no more thanthis, because the decision could not be made until the return of allthe parties of searchers to Bubastes. Their reports would then becompared, and unless any one animal appeared exactly to suit allrequirements, a visit would be made by the high priest of the templehimself to three or four of the cats most highly reported upon. If hefound one of them worthy of the honor, it would be selected for thevacant position.
If none of them came up to the lofty standard the post would remainunfilled for a year or two, when it might be hoped that among therising generation of cats a worthy successor to the departed one mightbe found. For themselves, they must continue their search in Thebesand its neighborhood, as all claimants must be examined; but theyassured Amense that they thought it most improbable that a cat equalto Paucis would be found.
Some months had passed, and it was not until a week after the funeralof Neco that a message arrived, saying that the report concerningPaucis by the priests who had visited Thebes was so much morefavorable than that given by any of the other searchers of the animalsthey had seen, that it had been decided by the high priest that italone was worthy of the honor.
The messenger stated that in the course of a fortnight a deputationconsisting of the high priest and several leading functionaries of thetemple, with a retinue of the lower clergy and attendants, would setout from Bubastes by water in order to receive the sacred cat, and toconduct her with all due ceremony to the shrine of Bubastes. Mysa wasdelighted at the honor which had befallen her cat. Privately she wasless fond of Paucis than of some of the less stately cats; for Paucis,from the time it grew up, had none of the playfulness of the tribe,but deported itself with a placid dignity which would do honor to itsnew position, but which rendered it less amusing to Mysa than itshumbler but more active companions.
Amense was vastly gratified at the news. It was considered the highesthonor that could befall an Egyptian for one of his animals to bechosen to fill the chief post in one of the temples, and next indignity to Apis himself was the sacred cat of the great goddess knownas Baste, Bubastes, or Pasht.
&nbs
p; As soon as the news was known, all the friends and acquaintances ofthe family flocked in to offer their congratulations; and so manyvisits were paid to Mysa's inclosure that even the tranquility ofPaucis was disturbed by the succession of admirers, and Amense,declaring that she felt herself responsible for the animal being inperfect health when the priests arrived for it, permitted only thecallers whom she particularly desired to honor to pay a visit ofinspection to it.
