Cambyses nodded his consent, and the old man began to read in a voice far louder than any one could have supposed possible from his infirm appearance “On the fifth day of the month Thoth, I was sent for by the king.  I had expected this, as the queen was near her confinement.  With my assistance she was easily and safely delivered of a child—­a weakly girl.  As soon as the nurse had taken charge of this child, Amasis led me behind a curtain which ran across his wife’s sleeping-apartment.  There lay another infant, which I recognized as the child of Hophra’s widow, who herself had died under my hands on the third day of the same month.  The king then said, pointing to this strong child, ’This little creature has no parents, but, as it is written in the law that we are to show mercy to the desolate orphans, Ladice and I have determined to bring her up as our own daughter.  We do not, however, wish that this deed should be made known, either to the world or to the child herself, and I ask you to keep the secret and spread a report that Ladice has given birth to twins.  If you accomplish this according to our wish, you shall receive to-day five thousand rings of gold, and the fifth part of this sum yearly, during your life.  I made my obeisance in silence, ordered every one to leave the sick room, and, when I again called them in, announced that Ladice had given birth to a second girl.  Amasis’ real child received the name of Tachot, the spurious one was called Nitetis.”

At these words Cambyses rose from his seat, and strode through the hall; but Onuphis continued, without allowing himself to be disturbed:  “Sixth day of the month Thoth.  This morning I had just lain down to rest after the fatigues of the night, when a servant appeared with the promised gold and a letter from the king, asking me to procure a dead child, to be buried with great ceremony as the deceased daughter of King Hophra.  After a great deal of trouble I succeeded, an hour ago, in obtaining one from a poor girl who had given birth to a child secretly in the house of the old woman, who lives at the entrance to the City of the Dead.  The little one had caused her shame and sorrow enough, but she would not be persuaded to give up the body of her darling, until I promised that it should be embalmed and buried in the most splendid manner.  We put the little corpse into my large medicine-chest, my son Nebenchari carried it this time instead of my servant Hib, and so it was introduced into the room where Hophra’s widow had died.  The poor girl’s baby will receive a magnificent funeral.  I wish I might venture to tell her, what a glorious lot awaits her darling after death.  Nebenchari has just been sent for by the king.”

At the second mention of this name, Cambyses stopped in his walk, and said:  “Is our oculist Nebenchari the man whose name is mentioned in this manuscript?”

“Nebenchari,” returned Phanes, “is the son of this very Sonnophre who changed the children.”