the rebellious boys are our best singers, and particularly young Anana,
who leads the voices of the choir-boys.

"I will examine the silly fellows at once. Rameri--Rameses' son--was
among the young miscreants?"

"He seems to have been the ring-leader," answered Septah.

Ameni looked at the old man with a significant smile, and said:

"The royal family are covering themselves with honor! His eldest
daughter must be kept far from the temple and the gathering of the pious,
as being unclean and refractory, and we shall be obliged to expel his son
too from our college. You look horrified, but I say to you that the time
for action is come. More of this, this evening. Now, one question: Has
the news of the death of the ram of Anion reached you? Yes? Rameses
himself presented him to the God, and they gave it his name. A bad
omen."

"And Apis too is dead!" The haruspex threw up his arms in lamentation.

"His Divine spirit has returned to God," replied Ameni. "Now we have
much to do. Before all things we must prove ourselves equal to those in
Thebes over there, and win the people over to our side. The panegyric
prepared by us for to-morrow must offer some great novelty. The Regent
Ani grants us a rich contribution, and--"

"And," interrupted Septah, "our thaumaturgists understand things very
differently from those of the house of Anion, who feast while we
practise."