mouth … for I dare not take them in mine … lest their touch should indeed make me forget …"
Quietly she pulled from out the canopy of flowers a bunch of white pansies, and stretching out both her hands up to him she murmured:
"White pansies for forgetfulness!"
He had fallen on his knees, and his arms encircled her dainty figure. She turned towards the statue of the goddess as if to beg of the cold, immovable image inspiration and perhaps strength. Ay! she needed all her woman's wits; there were a hundred unseen enemies to fight, and one whom she feared more than any—the other woman to whom he had plighted his troth. I suppose she found it hard to say to him, "Beware, that woman has murdered her son; she even now has planned thy ruin." Supposing his loyalty forbade him to listen! Her accusations to him might sound like the words of a woman mad with jealousy … and she thought that she could not prove them; she did not know I, too, had seen and heard, that I was here, close by, a caged and useless log, a dumb beast, while twenty priests—a hundred, if need be—were ready to swear that she lied.
And I was helpless—a caged, helpless, dumb creature—and the minutes were speeding so fast.
Suddenly from afar the sacred heralds of Osiris rang out upon their golden trumpets the announcement of the sun-god's approach.
In a moment Hugh had sprung to his feet, but Neit-akrit now would not let him go; she clung to his garments, dragged at his cloak.
"Thou must not go," she entreated. "The temple is dark and lonely—I am frightened; for pity's sake do not leave me!"
"Nay, sweet! thou art safe enough here … for
