You are so intriguing and artful, that there is no lie, no fraud, too base, if it will only help to gain your purpose." "You judge me and my countrymen in true Egyptian fashion; that is, they are foreigners, and therefore must be bad men.

But this time your suspicions happen to be misplaced.

Send for old Hib; he will tell you whether I am right or not." Nebenchari's face darkened, as Hib came into the room.
"Come nearer," said he in a commanding tone to the old man.
Hib obeyed with a shrug of the shoulders.
"Tell me, have you taken a bribe from this man?
Yes or no?
I must know the truth; it can influence my future for good or evil.

You are an old and faithful servant, to whom I owe a great deal, and so I will forgive you if you were taken in by his artifices, but I must know the truth.

I conjure you to tell me by the souls of your fathers gone to Osiris!" The old man's sallow face turned ashy pale as he heard these words.