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"No!" said Katuti in a low voice, and she clutched at the back of a chair as if for support. The dwarf shrugged his shoulders, and slunk behind a clump of ornamental plants, and a few minutes later Paaker stood in the presence of Katuti, who greeted him, with quiet dignity and self-possession.
Then the Regent spoke to him, and turning to the other guests mentioned that Paaker was on the point of starting next day for Syria, and resuming his arduous labors as Mohar. It seemed to Paaker that the Regent was excusing himself for having given him so high a place of honor.
Before she could reach the bottom step, with Nefert still clinging heavily to her arm, a hard hand was laid on her shoulder, and the rough voice of Paaker exclaimed: "Stand back, you rabble! We are going first." The captain of the watch did not stop him, for he knew the chief pioneer and his overbearing ways.
Meanwhile the gate-keeper had opened the door, and with him a tall young priest stepped out into the open air to ask the will of the intruders. Paaker would have seized the opportunity of speaking, but the lady in the chariot interposed and said: "I am Bent-Anat, the daughter of the King, and this lady in the litter is Nefert, the wife of the noble Mena, the charioteer of my father.
If you have deceived me!" said Katuti with a threatening gesture as she passed his perch. "Put me on a hook to angle for a crocodile if I have. But I am curious to know how he will offer you the money." "You swore to me," interrupted his mistress with feverish agitation, that you had not used my name in asking Paaker to save us?" "A thousand times I swear it," said the little man.
The pioneer, Paaker, has brought me a letter from our brethren who accompany the king, and delivered a document from him to the Regent, which contains the order to send to him fifty thousand fighting men: and as the whole of the soldier-caste and all the auxiliaries are already under arms, the bondmen of the temple, who till our acres, are to be levied, and sent into Asia."
"Take the squalling brat away," said Paaker to the nurse. "Mother, I want to speak to you." Setchem quieted the child, gave it many kisses, and sent it to bed; then she went up to her son, stroked his cheeks, and said: "If the little one were your own, she would go to you at once, and teach you that a child is the greatest blessing which the Gods bestow on us mortals."
Thus she remained, speechless and motionless, till they carried her back to her boat, there she lay down, and refused to take any nourishment; from time to time she whispered "Poor Paaker!" She no longer repelled Pentaur, for she did not again recognize him, and before he left her she had followed the rough-natured son of her adoption to the other world.
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.
"Fine pure silver," said the old woman, while she held the ring, which she had quickly picked out from the roots, close to her eyes; "it is too much for mere water, and too little for my good liquors." "Don't chatter, hussy, but make haste," cried Paaker, taking another ring from his money-bag and throwing it into her lap.
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