ischief. This woman was very much grieved at the young man's
resolution to kill himself, [for he did not conceal his intentions to
destroy himself from others,] and came to him, and encouraged him by her
discourse, and made him to hope, by some promises she gave him, that
he might obtain a night's lodging with Paulina; and when he joyfully
hearkened to her entreaty, she said she wanted no more than fifty
thousand drachmae for the entrapping of the woman. So when she had
encouraged the young man, and gotten as much money as she required,
she did not take the same methods as had been taken before, because she
perceived that the woman was by no means to be tempted by money; but
as she knew that she was very much given to the worship of the goddess
Isis, she devised the following stratagem: She went to some of Isis's
priests, and upon the strongest assurances [of concealment], she
persuaded them by words, but chiefly by the offer of money, of
twenty-five thousand drachmae in hand, and as much more when the thing
had taken effect; and told them the passion of the young man, and
persuaded them to use all means possible to beguile the woman. So they
were drawn in to promise so to do, by that large sum of gold they were
to have. Accordingly, the oldest of them went immediately to Paulina;
and upon his admittance, he desired to speak with her by herself. When
that was granted him, he told her that he was sent by the god Anubis,
who was fallen in love with her, and enjoined her to come to him. Upon
this she took the message very kindly, and valued herself greatly
upon this condescension of Anubis, and told her husband that she had a
message sent her, and was to sup and lie with Anubis; so he agreed to
her acceptance of the offer, as fully satisfied with the chastity of
his wife. Accordingly, she went to the temple, and after she had supped
there, and it was the hour to go to sleep, the priest shut the doors of
the temple, when, in the holy part of it, the lights were also put out.
Then did Mundus leap out, [for he was hidden therein,] and did not fail
of enjoying her, who was at his service all the night long, as supposing
he was the god; and when he was gone away, which was before those
priests who knew nothing of this stratagem were stirring, Paulina came
early to her husband, and told him how the god Anubis had appeared to
her. Among her friends, also, she declared how great a value she put
upon this favor, who partly disbelieve