[Cherheb was the title of the speaker or reciter at a festival.  We
   cannot agree with those who confuse this personage with the chief of
   the Kolchytes.]

for to-morrow only; the day after he must be brought to judgment.  Among 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.”

Ameni nodded assent, and said with a smile:  “Also we are more indispensable than they to the people.  They show them the path of life, but we smooth the way of death.  It is easier to find the way without a guide in the day-light than in the dark.  We are more than a match for the priests of Anion.”

“So long as you are our leader, certainly,” cried the haruspex.

“And so long as the temple has no lack of men of your temper!” added Ameni, half to Septah, and half to the second prophet of the temple, sturdy old Gagabu, who had come into the room.

Both accompanied him into the garden, where the two priests were awaiting him with the miraculous heart.

Ameni greeted the priest from the temple of Anion with dignified friendliness, the head kolchytes with distant reserve, listened to their story, looked at the heart which lay in the box, with Septah and Gagabu, touched it delicately with the tips of his fingers, carefully examining the object, which diffused a strong perfume of spices; then he said earnestly: 

“If this, in your opinion, kolchytes, is not a human heart, and if in yours, my brother of the temple of Anion, it is a ram’s heart, and if it was found in the body of Rui, who is gone to Osiris, we here have a mystery which only the Gods can solve.  Follow me into the great court.  Let the gong be sounded, Gagabu, four times, for I wish to call all the brethren together.”