"'Sigh!' said he, taking a censer to burn incense before the statue of
Amon.
"'He is a kind god,' thought he, 'who values the qualities of sages, even when barefoot, and deals out to them justice. What a beautiful estate he has given me! It is true that I showed him honor by writing Amon on the door of that hut in two manners. And how beautifully I reckoned how many hen eggs he would get for seven partridges. My teachers were right when they said that wisdom opens the lips of gods even,'
"He turned again toward the corner. The veiled figure sighed again.
"'I am curious to know,' thought the scribe, 'why my friend Amon forbade me to touch that thing over there in the corner. Well, for such a property he had a right to impose conditions; though I should not have imposed them on him. For if all this palace is my property, if I may use all that is here, why should I not even touch this thing I may not touch it, but I may look at it.'
"He approached the figure, drew the veil aside carefully, looked; it was indeed beautiful. It resembled a boy, but was not a boy. It had hair reaching to its knees, delicate features, and a look full of sweetness.
"'Who art thou?' asked the scribe of the figure.
"'I am a woman,' answered the figure, with a voice that penetrated his heart like a Phoenician dagger.
"'Woman?' thought the scribe. 'They did not tell me about woman in the priests' school. Woman?' repeated he. 'But what hast Thou here?'
"'Those are my eyes.'
"'Eyes? What canst Thou see with eyes which would melt before any light?'