"And you have come hither to hire good laborers."
"Quite right, and I do not even yet give up the hope of securing you to take a share in my vintage."
"You are mistaken. My work is already done. The gods themselves have taken it in hand. Amasis has been severely enough punished for banishing me from country, friends and pupils into this unclean land."
"You mean by his blindness perhaps?"
"Possibly."
"Then you have not heard that Petammon, one of your colleagues, has succeeded in cutting the skin, which covered the pupil of the eye and so restoring Amasis' sight?"
The Egyptian started and ground his teeth; recovered his presence of mind, however, in a moment, and answered: "Then the gods have punished the father through the children."
"In what way? Psamtik suits his father's present mood very well. It is true that Tachot is ill, but she prays and sacrifices with her father all the more for that; and as to Nitetis, you and I both know that her death will not touch him very closely."
"I really do not understand you."
"Of course not, so long as you fancy that I believe your beautiful patient to be Amasis' daughter."