ad tumult and havoc through the land, rebel against
all authority, destroy with one blow all the power and glory of
Egypt."

"That is true," Chebron said thoughtfully. "No doubt the ignorant mass
of the people require something material to worship. They need to
believe in gods who will punish impiety and wrong and reward
well-doing; and the religion of Egypt, as they believe it, is better
suited to their daily wants than the worship of a deity so mighty and
great and good that their intellect would fail altogether to grasp
him."

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the entrance of Ruth.

"Paucis is missing. When we came back from our walk we went out to the
animals, and the door of the house is open and the cat has gone. Mysa
says will you come at once and help look for it? I was to send all the
women who can be spared from the house to join in the search."

Work was instantly abandoned, for all knew that Paucis had been chosen
to be the sacred cat at Bubastes; but even had it been one of the
others, the news that it was missing would have caused a general
excitement. So esteemed were even the most common animals of the cat
tribe that, if a cat happened to die in a house, the inhabitants went
into mourning and shaved their eyebrows in token of their grief; the
embalmers were sent for, the dead cat made into a mummy, and conveyed
with much solemnity to the great catacombs set aside for the burial of
the sacred animals. Thus the news that Paucis was missing was so
important that work was at once laid aside and the men and female
slaves began to search the garden thoroughly, examining every bush and
tree, and calling loudly to the missing animal. Chebron and Amuba
joined in the search as actively as the rest.

"Where can it be?" Mysa exclaimed. "Why should it have wandered away?
It never did so before, though the door of the cat house is often left
open all day. Where do you think it can have gone to? Do you think it
could have got over the wall?"

"It could get over the wall easily enough," Chebron replied.

"It is a terrible misfortune!" continued Mysa with tears in her eyes.
"Mamma fainted on hearing the news, and her women are burning feathers
under her nose and slapping her hands and sprinkling water on her
face. Whatever will be done if it does not come back before to-morrow?
for I hear a solemn procession is coming from Bubastes to fetch it
away. Poor dear Paucis! And it seemed so contented and ha