The rulers not only depended on their will, but some were reduced to mere instruments of theirs.

The Egyptian priests hastened to execute Gaumata's orders, with greater zeal from their fear of me, because they were afraid that I would reveal their impostures to the people.

To accomplish their purpose, they made use of a young priest of Abydos, who passed for a saint." A painful silence followed these words.

That head was talking of priestly intrigues and impostures, and although referring to another age and other creeds, all the friars present were annoyed, possibly because they could see in the general trend of the speech some analogy to the existing situation.

Padre Salvi was in the grip of convulsive shivering; he worked his lips and with bulging eyes followed the gaze of the head as though fascinated.