18/47 Once it was divine--in ancient Egypt. Doubtless monsieur has heard of Pasht? Madame was born to the privilege. Pasht watches over her." "Pasht," I said politely in French, in reply to this clotted nonsense, "was a great divinity. And for yourself, who knows but what you may have been in a previous incarnation the keeper of the Sacred Cats in some Egyptian temple." "I was," he said, with staggering earnestness. |