in late, had excused her delay by shortly explaining to her mother that
she had been detained by Bent-Anat, and had then affectionately offered
her brow for a kiss of "good-night."
When the widow was about to withdraw to her sleeping-room, and Nemu had
lighted her lamp, she remembered the secret which was to deliver Paaker
into Ani's hands. She ordered the dwarf to impart to her what he knew,
and the little man told her at last, after sincere efforts at resistance
--for he feared for his mother's safety--that Paaker had administered
half of a love-philter to Nefert, and that the remainder was still in his
hands.
A few hours since this information would have filled Katuti with
indignation and disgust; now, though she blamed the Mohar, she asked
eagerly whether such a drink could be proved to have any actual effect.
"Not a doubt of it," said the dwarf, "if the whole were taken, but Nefert
only had half of it."
At a late hour Katuti was still pacing her bedroom, thinking of Paaker's