"Impossible!" "I know, as matters now stand; but his place, his name." "Mistress," said the dwarf, and deep purpose rang in the words, "do not spoil the future for the sake of the present.

If thy son loses his honor under King Rameses, the future King, Ani, may restore it to him.

If the Regent now renders you all an important service, he will regard you as amply paid when our efforts have succeeded, and he sits on the throne.

He lets himself be led by thee now because thou hast no need of his help, and dost seem to work only for his sake, and for his elevation.

As soon as thou hast appealed to him, and he has assisted thee, all thy confidence and freedom will be gone, and the more difficult he finds it to raise so large a sum of money at once, the angrier he will be to think that thou art making use of him.