prostrate, flinging up his arms in passionate entreaty, the keener grew
his longings, the less he felt able to repent or to recognize his guilt.
Ameni's order to appear before him came almost as a deliverance, and he
followed the messenger prepared for a severe punishment; but not afraid
--almost joyful.

In obedience to the command of the grave high-priest, Pentaur related the
whole occurrence--how, as there was no leech in the house, he had gone
with the old wife of the paraschites to visit her possessed husband; how,
to save the unhappy girl from ill-usage by the mob, he had raised his
hand in fight, and dealt indeed some heavy blows.

"You have killed four men," said Ameni, "and severely wounded twice as
many. Why did you not reveal yourself as a priest, as the speaker of the
morning's discourse? Why did you not endeavor to persuade the people
with words of warning, rather than with brute force?"

"I had no priest's garment," replied Pentaur. "There again you did
wrong," said Ameni, "for you know that the law requires of each of us
never to leave this house without our white robes. But you cannot
pretend not to know your own powers of speech, nor to contradict me
when I assert that, even in the plainest working-dress, you were
perfectly able to produce as much effect with words as by deadly blows!"
"I might very likely have succeeded," answered Pentaur, "but the most
savage temper ruled the crowd; there was no time for reflection, and when
I struck down the villain, like some reptile, who had seized the innocent
girl, the lust of fighting took possession of me. I cared no more for my
own life, and to save the child I would have slain thousands."

"Your eyes sparkle," said Ameni, "as if you had performed some heroic