Beads of sweat began to break out on his emaciated face, but no one noticed this, so deeply absorbed and affected were they.
"What was the plot concocted by the priests of your country against you ?" asked Mr.Leeds.
The head uttered a sorrowful groan, which seemed to come from the bottom of the heart, and the spectators saw its eyes, those fiery eyes, clouded and filled with tears.

Many shuddered and felt their hair rise.

No, that was not an illusion, it was not a trick: the head was the victim and what it told was its own story.
"Ay!" it moaned, shaking with affliction, "I loved a maiden, the daughter of a priest, pure as light, like the freshly opened lotus! The young priest of Abydos also desired her and planned a rebellion, using my name and some papyri that he had secured from my beloved.

The rebellion broke out at the time when Cambyses was returning in rage over the disasters of his unfortunate campaign.

I was accused of being a rebel, was made a prisoner, and having effected my escape was killed in the chase on Lake Moeris.