en-piercing accents.
Without lying down to sleep, the chief summoned the officer who had
made the investigation, and listened to his report attentively.

At sunrise the two priests, Sem and Mefres, with the nomarch of Pi-
Bast, received a most humble invitation to deign immediately, should
such be their will, to come to the chief of police. In fact, all three
entered at the very same moment; so the chief, bending low, implored
them to tell all that they knew concerning the murder of the son of the
viceroy.

The nomarch, though a great dignitary, grew pale when he heard the
humble invitation, and answered that he knew nothing. The high priest
Sem gave almost the same answer, adding, for himself, the reflection
that Sarah seemed to him innocent.

When the turn came to the holy Mefres, he said,

"I know not whether Thou hast heard, worthiness, that during the night
of the crime one of the prince's women escaped; her name was Kama."

The chief of police feigned to be greatly astonished.

"I know not," continued Mefres, "whether they have told thee that the
heir did not pass the night in the palace, but was in Sarah's house.
The doorkeeper and two servants recognized him, for the night was
rather clear. It is a great pity," finished the high priest, "that Thou
hast not been here these two days past."

The chief bowed very low to Mefres, and turned to the nomarch,

"Wouldst Thou be pleased, worthiness, to tell me, graciously, how the
prince was dressed that evening?"

"He wore a white jacket, and a purple apron with gold fringe," answered
the nomarch. "I remember very well, for that evening I was one of the
last who spoke with him."

The chief of the police clapped his hands, and Sarah's doorkeeper
entered the chamber.

"Didst Thou see the prince," inquired he, "when he came in the night to
the house of thy lady?"

"I opened the door to his worthiness, may he live through eternity!"

"And dost Thou remember how he was dressed?"

"He wore a jacket with yellow and black stripes, a cap of the same
colors, and a blue and red apron," answered the doorkeeper.

Both priests and the nomarch began to wonder.

Then they brought in Sarah's servants, who repeated exactly the same
description of the prince's dress. The nomarch's eyes flashed with
delight, but on the face of the holy Mefres confusion was evident.

"I will swear," put in the worthy nomarch, "that the prince wore a
white jacket and a purple apron with go