haraoh,
Merytra drew alongside of Kaku, and under shelter of her broad fan,
spoke to him quickly, as though she were making some arrangement with
him, and he nodded in assent, after which they separated again.

The feast wore on its weary course till, at length, the doors opened and
slaves appeared bearing the mummy of a dead man, which they set upon its
feet in the centre of the hall, whereon a toast-master cried:

"Drink and be merry, all ye great ones of the earth, who know not how
soon ye shall come to this last lowly state."

Now this bringing in of the mummy was a very ancient rite, but one that
had fallen into general disuse, so that as it chanced Tua, who had never
seen it practised before, looked on it with curiosity not unmingled with
disgust.

"Why is a dead king dragged from his sepulchre back into the world of
life, my Uncle?" she asked, pointing to the royal emblems with which the
corpse was clothed.

"It is no king, your Majesty," answered Abi, "but only the bones of some
humble person, or perhaps a block of wood that wears the _uraeus_ and
carries the sceptre in honour of Pharaoh, our chief guest."

Now Tua frowned, and Pharaoh, who had overheard the talk, said, smiling
sadly:

"A somewhat poor compliment, my brother, to one who, like myself, is
old and sickly and not far from his eternal habitation. Yet why should I
grumble at it who need no such reminder of that which awaits me and all
of us?" and he leaned back in his chair and sighed, while Tua looked at
him anxiously.

Then Abi ordered the mummy to be removed, declaring, with many
apologies, that it had been brought there only because such was the
ancient custom of Memphis, which, unlike Thebes, did not change its
fashions. He added that this same body or figure, for he knew not which
it was, having never troubled to inquire, had been looked upon by at
least thirty Pharaohs, all as dead as it to-day, since it was the
same that was used at the royal feasts before, long ago, the seat of
government was moved to Thebes.

"If so," broke in Tua, who was angry, "it is time that it should be
buried, if flesh and bone, or burned if wood. But Pharaoh is wearied.
Have we your leave to depart, my Uncle?"

Without answering, Abi rose, as she thought to dismiss the company. But
it was not so, for he raised a great, golden cup of wine and said:

"Before we part, my guests, let Memphis drink a welcome to the mighty
Lord of the Two Lands who, for the f