United States or Martinique ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
You told me once that it was a pretty sight to see the mother and daughter side by side in their chariot when they go to a festival or the Panegyrai; Katuti, you said, took care that the colors of their dresses and the flowers in their hair should harmonize. For which of them is the dress first chosen on such occasions?"
"You will find out the lie without my telling you," mumbled the witch; "your business is not perhaps such a bad one as it seemed to me at first. Katuti may thank the ne'er-do-well who staked his father's corpse. You don't understand me? Well, if you are really the sharpest of them all over there, what must the others be?"
The tent of the Regent himself was distinguished from all the others by its size and magnificence; to the right of it was the encampment of the different priestly deputations, to the left that of his suite; among the latter were the tents of his friend Katuti, a large one for her own use, and some smaller ones for her servants.
As soon as Bent-Anat had quitted Mena's domain, the dwarf Nemu entered the garden with a letter, and briefly related his adventures; but in such a comical fashion that both the ladies laughed, and Katuti, with a lively gaiety, which was usually foreign to her, while she warned him, at the same time praised his acuteness.
"And all to lose," muttered the old woman, passing her fingers round her scraggy neck. "Well, do as you please it is all the same to me who it is sends the young to be killed, and drives the old folks' cattle from the field. What do they want with me?" "No one has sent me," answered the dwarf. I come of my own free fancy to ask you what Katuti must do to save her son and her house from dishonor."
The steward examined the trinket, richly set with precious stones, and looked enquiringly at Katuti. She shrugged her shoulders, nodded consent, and said "Abscha shall hold it as a pledge till Mena's booty arrives. For a year your husband has sent nothing of importance." When the steward was gone, Nefert stretched herself again on her couch and said wearily: "I thought we were rich."
The dwarf cried out, as if an asp had stung him. "Who dared to bid against such a mad stake?" "The Lady Hathor's son, Antef," answered Katuti, "who has already gambled away the inheritance of his fathers, in Thebes." "He will not remit one grain of wheat of his claim," cried the dwarf. "And Mena?" "How could my son turn to him after what had happened?
The Regent looked gloomily at the floor and nodded that he had. But Katuti cried out; "Fool that I am! the dwarf is right! I saw how she blushed when her brother told her how the boys had rebelled on his account against Ameni. It is Pentaur and none other!" "Good!" said Ani, "we will see."
As soon as Paaker had disappeared behind the shrubs, Katuti struck a little sheet of metal, a slave appeared, and Katuti asked her whether Nefert had returned from the temple. "Her litter is just now at the side gate," was the answer. "I await her here," said the widow. The slave went away, and a few minutes later Nefert entered the hall.
"Hm!" hummed the witch, looking at Nemu while she raised herself on her stick. "What has come to you that you take the fate of these great people to heart as if it were your own?" The dwarf reddened, and answered hesitatingly, "Katuti is a good mistress, and, if things go well with her, there may be windfalls for you and me." Hekt shook her head doubtfully.
Word Of The Day