"It is a fine morning," said the dwarf; "the holy fathers down there seem
more cheerful to-day than usual."

The surgeon laughed assent. "Do you belong to the Necropolis?" he said.
"Who here keeps dwarfs?"

"No one," answered the little man. "But I will ask thee a question.
Who that lives here behind the hill is of so much importance, that a
leech from the House of Seti sacrifices his night's rest for him?"

"The one I visit is mean, but the suffering is great," answered Nebsecht.

Nemu looked at him with admiration, and muttered, "That is noble, that is
----" but he did not finish his speech; he struck his brow and exclaimed,
"You are going, by the desire of the Princess Bent-Anat, to the child of
the paraschites that was run over. I guessed as much. The food must
have an excellent after-taste, if a gentleman rises so early to eat it.
How is the poor child doing?"

There was so much warmth in these last words that Nebsecht, who had
thought the dwarf's reproach uncalled for, answered in a friendly tone:

"Not so badly; she may be saved."

"The Gods be praised!" exclaimed Nemu, while the priest passed on.

Nebsecht went up and down the hillside at a redoubled pace, and had long
taken his place by the couch of the wounded Uarda in the hovel of the
paraschites, when Nemu drew near to the abode of his Mother Hekt, from