auty, the pagan goddess of the love that was not
spiritual.

And she almost felt as if she was answered.

Yet only the enormous bats cried fiercely to her from far up in the
dimness. She only heard their voices and the beating of their wings.

"Let's go, Ruby. I don't know why, but to-day I hate this place."

She started at the sound of his voice close to her. But she controlled
herself immediately, and replied, quietly:

"Yes, let us go. We are only disturbing the bats."

As they went out, she looked up to the column from which Hathor gazed as
if seeking for her worshippers, and she whispered adieu to the goddess.

As soon as they were on board of the _Loulia_ Nigel gave the order to
cast off. He seemed unusually restless, and in a hurry to be _en route_.
With eagerness he spoke to the impassive Reis, whose handsome head was
swathed in a shawl, and who listened imperturbably. He went about on the
sailors' deck watching the preparations, seeing the ropes hauled in, the
huge poles brought out to fend them from off the bank, the gigantic sail
unfurled to catch the evening breeze, which was blowing from the north,
and which would take them up against the strong set of the current. And
when the water curled and eddied about the _Loulia's_ prow, and the
shores seemed slipping away and falling back into the primrose light of
the north, and into the great dahabeeyah there came that mysterious
feeling of life which thrills through the moving vessel, he flung up his
arms, and uttered an exclamation that was like a mingled sigh and
half-suppressed shout. Then he laughed at himself, and turned to look
for Ruby.

She was alone on the upper deck, standing among some big palms in pots,
with her hands on the rail, and gazing towards him. She had taken off
her hat and veil, and the breeze stirred, and the gold of the departing
sun lit up the strands of her curiously pale yet shining hair. He sprang
up the companion to stand beside her.

"We're off!" he said.

"How glad you seem! You called me a child. But you're like a mad
boy--mad to be moving. One would think you had--No, that wouldn't be
like a boy."

"What do you mean?"

"I was going to say one would think you had an enemy in Keneh and were
escaping from him."

"Him! Her, you should say."

"Her?"

"Hathor. That temple of Denderah seemed haunted to-day."

He pulled off his hat to let the breeze get at his hair, too.

"When we were standing in the sanctuary I se