the holy Tanofir."

"If hermits drink from such a cup I shall turn hermit," said Bes,
laughing. "But how can a woman be a man's cup and what kind of a wine
does he drink from her?"

"The wine of wisdom, O Bes," she replied colouring a little, for like
many Arabs of high blood she was very fair in hue.

"Wine of wisdom," said Bes. "From such cups most drink the wine of
folly, or sometimes of madness."

"The holy Tanofir awaits you," she interrupted, and turning, entered
the doorway.

A little way down the passage was a niche in which stood three lamps
ready lighted. One of these she took and gave the others to us. Then
we followed her down a steep incline of many steps, till at length we
found ourselves in a hot and enormous hall hewn from the living rock
and filled with blackness.

"What is this place?" said Bes, who looked frightened, and although he
spoke in a low whisper, our guide overheard him and turning, answered,

"This is the burial place of the Apis bulls. See, here lies the last,
not yet closed in," and holding up her lamp she revealed a mighty
sarcophagus of black granite set in a niche of the mausoleum.

"So they make mummies of bulls as well as of men," groaned Bes. "Oh!
what a land. But when I have seen the holy Tanofir it was in a brick