He makes himself comfortable with the heritage of Assa." In the middle of the valley walked Nefert and the pioneer, with the princess Bent-Anat and Pentaur who accompanied her.
When these two had come out of the hut of the paraschites, they stood opposite each other in silence.

The royal maiden pressed her hand to her heart, and, like one who is thirsty, drank in the pure air of the mountain valley with deeply drawn breath; she felt as if released from some overwhelming burden, as if delivered from some frightful danger.
At last she turned to her companion, who gazed earnestly at the ground.
"What an hour!" she said.
Pentaur's tall figure did not move, but he bowed his head in assent, as if he were in a dream.

Bent-Anat now saw him for the first time in fall daylight; her large eyes rested on him with admiration, and she asked: "Art thou the priest, who yesterday, after my first visit to this house, so readily restored me to cleanness ?" "I am he," replied Pentaur.
"I recognized thy voice, and I am grateful to thee, for it was thou that didst strengthen my courage to follow the impulse of my heart, in spite of my spiritual guides, and to come here again.

Thou wilt defend me if others blame me." "I came here to pronounce thee unclean." "Then thou hast changed thy mind ?" asked Bent-Anat, and a smile of contempt curled her lips.
"I follow a high injunction, that commands us to keep the old institutions sacred.

If touching a paraschites, it is said, does not defile a princess, whom then can it defile?
for whose garment is more spotless than hers ?" "But this is a good man with all his meanness," interrupted Bent-Anat, "and in spite of the disgrace, which is the bread of life to him as honor is to us.