“That is a difficulty,” returned the Egyptian; “but I must leave you to solve it as you best can. This will be no disadvantage to your education. The young man who has learned how to deal with difficult men in difficult circumstances has graduated at a higher university than teaches in the Serapeum and Museum. So take a lesson in the university of human nature; and, perhaps, when I join you, which will be as soon as my business will allow, you can reproduce the lesson for me.”
Aleph could not well help noticing the change that had come over the manners of the porter as Seti and himself approached the postern in close conversation. The man had exchanged impudence for obsequiousness. He was all deference and humbleness. His bow was so low, as he set the postern wide open, that one might reasonably have feared that the hinge in his back had entirely given way in favor of a prostration. Has it not been noticed in all ages that impudence and servility are near of kin to each other and are never far apart?
In due time Aleph presented himself at the house of the sick woman. The same forbidding looking man who had acted as porter before now answered to his knock, but only opened the door a hand breadth.
After waiting a moment for an invitation to enter, which he did not get, the young man said, “Will you not permit me to enter?”
“What is your business?” demanded the fellow in a surly tone, making the opening of the door still less.
“A friendly one,” said Aleph. “I will explain it more fully when I have entered and delivered to you—that is, if you are the husband of the sick woman—some money which I have for you.”
The word money seemed to throw a shade of uncertainty into the man’s face. At length he said: “I am her husband. Why cannot you deliver the money to me here?”
“Of course I can,” said Aleph. “The only difficulty lies in my disposition. The gold is in my pouch, my arm is long enough to reach it, and your hand is near enough to take it: but you see, man, it does not suit my humor to give gold to a man who is rude enough to shut his door in my face. I hardly think you yourself would be liberal under like circumstances—would you?”
“My wife is very sick—it may be dying. Your coming in will disturb her.”
“Dying people are not apt to be disturbed by a step and voice as light as mine will be. Besides, if the woman is dying you will need the gold all the more. Death and burial in Alexandria must be expensive. I suppose there are some people here who cannot afford to die.”