SIBYL. There now;--Mary has had all her questions answered: it's
my turn to have mine.
L. Ah, there's a conspiracy among you, I see. I might have guessed
as much.
DORA. I'm sure you ask us questions enough! How can you have the
heart, when you dislike so to be asked them yourself?
L. My dear child, if people do not answer questions, it does not
matter how many they are asked, because they've no trouble with
them. Now, when I ask you questions, I never expect to be
answered; but when you ask me, you always do; and it's not fair.
DORA. Very well, we shall understand, next time.
SIBYL. No, but seriously, we all want to ask one thing more, quite
dreadfully.
L. And I don't want to be asked it, quite dreadfully; but you'll
have your own way, of course.
SIBYL. We none of us understand about the lower Pthah. It was not
merely yesterday; but in all we have read about him in Wilkinson,
or in any book, we cannot understand what the Egyptians put their
god into that ugly little deformed shape for.
L. Well, I'm glad it's that sort of question; because I can answer
anything I like to that.
EGYPT. Anything you like will do quite well for us; we shall be
pleased with the answer, if you are.
L. I am not so sure of that, most gracious queen; for I must begin
by the statement that queens seem to have disliked all sorts of
work, in those days, as much as some queens dislike sewing to-day.
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