When at last he was taken and hanged, I remained in his cave, and myself took to witchcraft.

Children point their fingers at me, honest men and women avoid me, I am an abomination to all men, nay to myself.

And one only is guilty of all this ruin--the noblest gentleman in Thebes--the pious Assa.
"I had practised magic for several years, and had become learned in many arts, when one day the gardener Sent, from whom I was accustomed to buy plants for my mixtures--he rents a plot of ground from the temple of Seti--Sent brought me a new-born child that had been born with six toes; I was to remove the supernumerary toe by my art.

The pious mother of the child was lying ill of fever, or she never would have allowed it; I took the screaming little wretch--for such things are sometimes curable.

The next morning, a few hours after sunrise, there was a bustle in front of my cave; a maid, evidently belonging to a noble house, was calling me.
Her mistress, she said, had come with her to visit the tomb of her fathers, and there had been taken ill, and had given birth to a child.
Her mistress was lying senseless--I must go at once, and help her.