until its contents have
served my purpose. Secondly, the gods have so ordained, that just at
this moment there is a man in Babylon who can read every kind of writing
known to the Egyptian priests. Do you perhaps happen to know the name of
Onuphis?"

For the third time the Egyptian turned pale. "Are you certain," he said,
"that this man is still among the living?"

"I spoke to him myself yesterday. He was formerly, you know, high-priest
at Heliopolis, and was initiated into all your mysteries there. My wise
countryman, Pythagoras of Samos, came to Egypt, and after submitting to
some of your ceremonies, was allowed to attend the lessons given in the
schools for priests. His remarkable talents won the love of the great
Onuphis and he taught him all the Egyptian mysteries, which Pythagoras
afterwards turned to account for the benefit of mankind. My delightful
friend Rhodopis and I are proud of having been his pupils. When the rest
of your caste heard that Onuphis had betrayed the sacred mysteries, the
ecclesiastical judges determined on his death. This was to be caused by
a poison extracted from peach-kernels. The condemned man, however, heard
of their machinations, and fled to Naukratis, where he found a safe
asylum in the house of Rhodopis, whom he had heard highly praised by
Pythagoras, and whose dwelling was rendered inviolable by the king's
letter. Here he met Antimenidas the brother of the poet Alcarus of
Lesbos, who, having been banished by Pittakus, the wise ruler of
Mitylene, had gone to Babylon, and there taken service in the army of
Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Assyria. Antimenidas gave him letters to the
Chaldians. Onuphis travelled to the Euphrates, settled there, and was
obliged to seek for some means of earning his daily bread, as he had
left Egypt a poor man. He is now supporting himself in his old age, by
the assistance which his superior knowledge enables him to render the
Chaldoeans in their astronomical observations from the tower of Bel.
Onuphis is nearly eighty, but his mind is as clear as ever, and when I
saw him yesterday and asked him to help me, his eyes brightened as he
promised to do so. Your father was one of his judges, but he bears you
no malice and sends you a greeting."

Nebenchari's eyes were fixed thoughtfully on the ground during this
tale. When Phanes had finished, he gave him a penetrating look and said:
"Where are my papers?"

"They are in Onuphis' hands. He is looking among them f