mary to permit the highest of rank
to dismiss a company--Masanath slipped from among them and attempted to
leave unnoticed. But Rameses was before her and had taken possession
of her hand before she could elude him. As Kenkenes passed them on his
way to the door her soft shoulders were squared; she had drawn herself
as far away from the prince as she might and was otherwise evincing her
discomfort extravagantly.

Before them was Hotep, outwardly undisturbed, smiling and complacent.
At one side was Ta-user, at the other Seti, and Io hung on Hotep's arm.

The young artist walked past them hurriedly, moved to leave all the
ferment and agitation behind him. If he had thought to forget his
sorrows among the light-hearted revel of those that did not sorrow, he
misdirected his search.

At the doors the Lady Senci met him and drew him over to the diphros,
now vacated by Bettis.

And there she took his face between her hands and kissed him.

"Hail! thou son of the murket!" she said.

"Having much, I am given more," he responded. "Behold the prodigality
of good fortune. The Hathors exalt me in the world and add thereto a
kiss from the Lady Senci."

"I was impelled truly," she confessed, "but by thine own face as well
as by the Hathors. Kenkenes, if I did not know thee, I should say thou
wast pretending--thou, to whom pretense is impossible."

He did not answer, for there was no desire in his heart to tell his
secret; his experience with Hotep had warned him. Yet the unusual
winsomeness of his father's noble love was hard to resist.

"Thy manner this evening betrays thee as striving to hide one spirit
and show another," she continued, seeing he made no response.

"Thou hast said," he admitted at last; "and I have not succeeded. That
is a sorry incapacity, for the world has small patience with a man who
can not make his face lie."

"Bitter! Thou!" she chid.

"Have I not spoken truly?" he persisted.

"Aye, but why rebel? No man but hides a secret sorrow, and this would
be a tearful world did every one weep when he felt like it."

"But I am most overwhelmingly constrained to weep, so I shall stay out
of the world and vex it not."

She looked at him with startled eyes.

"Art thou so troubled, then?" she asked in a lowered tone.

"Doubly troubled--and hopelessly," he replied, his eyes away from her.

She came nearer and, putting up her hands, laid them on his shoulders.

"You are so young, Kenkenes---so