But there was one amongst them--a farmer and an overseer of canals--who was a kinsman of my mother's and had been present when she prophesied; and he turned and ran swiftly for three parts of an hour, till he came to where I lay in the house that is without the north wall of the great Temple.

Now, as it chanced, my father was away in that part of the Place of Tombs which is to the left of the large fortress, and Pharaoh's guards, mounted on asses, were hard upon us.

Then the messenger cried to the old wife, Atoua, whose tongue had brought about the evil, and told how the soldiers drew near to slay me.

And they looked at each other, not knowing what to do; for, had they hid me, the guards would not have stayed their search till I was found.
But the man, gazing through the doorway, saw a little child at play: "Woman," he said, "whose is that child ?" "It is my grandchild," she answered, "the foster-brother of the Prince Harmachis; the child to whose mother we owe this evil case." "Woman," he said, "thou knowest thy duty, do it!" and he again pointed at the child.

"I command thee, by the Holy Name!" Atoua trembled exceedingly, because the child was of her own blood; but, nevertheless, she took the boy and washed him and set a robe of silk upon him, and laid him on my cradle.