Kenkenes went to her and,
taking both her hands in his, drew her close to him. She did not
resist, but her face reproached him--not for what he was doing, but for
what he had done. With his head bent, he looked down into her eyes for
a moment. Her red mouth with its sulky pathos was almost irresistible.
But he only pressed one hand to his lips.
"I must wait until I return," he said from the doorway, and was gone.
On the broad bosom of the Nile at sunset, four strong oarsmen were
speeding him swiftly up to Thebes. Off the long wharves at the
southernmost limits of the city, the rapid boat overtook and passed
low-riding, slowly moving stone-barges laden with quarry slaves. The
unwieldy craft progressed heavily, nearer and within the darkening
shadow of the Arabian hills. Kenkenes watched them as long as they
were in sight, an unwonted pity making itself felt in his heart. For
even in the dusk he distinguished many women and the immature figures
of children; and none knew the quarry life better than he, who was a
worker in stone.
[1] In ancient Egypt burglary was reduced to a system and governed by
law. The chief of robbers received all the spoil and to him the
victimized citizen repaired and, upon payment of a certain per cent.
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