Ani. They could see too the seats of the grandees, and the barriers
which kept the people at a distance from the Regent, the priests, and the
nobles.

Here Ameni himself had announced to the multitude the miracle of the
sacred heart, and had proclaimed that a new Apis had been found among the
herds of the Regent Ani.

His announcement of these divine tokens had been repeated from mouth to
mouth; they were omens of peace and happiness for the country through the
means of a favorite of the Gods; and though no one said it, the dullest
could not fail to see that this favorite was none other than Ani, the
descendant of the great Hatasu, whose prophet had been graced by the
transfer to him of the heart of the sacred rain. All eyes were fixed on
Ani, who had sacrificed before all the people to the sacred heart, and
received the high-priest's blessing.

Pentaur, too, had ended his discourse when Bent-Anat reached the scene of
the festival. She heard an old man say to his son:

"Life is hard. It often seems to me like a heavy burden laid on our poor
backs by the cruel Gods; but when I heard the young priest from the House
of Seti, I felt that, after all, the Immortals are good, and we have much
to thank them for."

In another place a priest's wife said to her son:

"Could you see Pentaur well, Hor-Uza? He is of humble birth, but he
stands above the greatest in genius and gifts, and will rise to high
things."