wered soothingly. "The wrath of the gods for
an offense thus flagrant is exceedingly slow, if it is to fall. Lo!
they have propitiated me at great length if they mean to accomplish
mine undoing at last. Thus far, and the statue is well-nigh complete,
I have met no form of obstacle."

But Hotep shook his head in profound apprehension. He looked at the
statue furtively and murmured:

"O Kenkenes, what madness made thee trifle with the gods?"

"Have I not said? The goddess herself lured me. Is she not the
embodied essence of Beauty? The ritual insults her. Ah, look at the
statue, Hotep. How could Athor be wroth with the sculptor who called
such a face as that, a likeness of her!"

"It startles me," the scribe declared. "It is supernaturally human.
That is not art, but creation. O apostate, thine offense is of
two-fold seriousness. Thou hast stolen the function of the divine
Mother and made a living thing!"

Kenkenes laughed with sheer joy at his comrade's genuine praise. The
more dismayed Hotep might be, the more sincere his compliment. But the
scribe, plunged into a stupor of concern lest the authorities discover
the sacrilege, went on helplessly.

"What wilt thou do with it when it is done?"

"I have left no mark of myself upon it."

"Nay, but the priesthood can scent out a blasphemer as a hound scents a
jackal."

"Thou wilt not betray me, Hotep; I shall not publish myself, and the
other--the only other who possesses my secret--the Israelite, who was
my model, is fidelity's self. I would trust her with my soul."

"An Israelite! Thy nation's most active foe at this hour!"

"She is no enemy to me, Hotep."

Slowly the scribe's eyes traveled from the face of Athor to the face of
Kenkenes. The young sculptor turned away and leaned against the great
cube that walled one side of the niche. He was not prepared to meet
his friend's discerning eyes. Hotep surveyed him critically. A
momentous surmise forced itself upon him. He went to Kenkenes and,
laying an affectionate arm across his shoulder, leaned not lightly
thereon.

"Thou hast said, O my Kenkenes, that I should understand thy meaning
when thou spakest mysteriously a while agone. May I not know, now?
Thou didst plead offense to Athor and didst boast her pardon. Later
thou calledst her thy confederate. And earliest of all, thou didst
confess to asking favor of her. How may all these things be?"

"Look thou," Kenkenes began at once.