"Is not
its portion truly grievous if its single palm complain?"
The lady dropped her eyes and her cheeks glowed even through the dusk.
After the long interval of Nechutes' blunt love-making the sculptor's
subtleties fell most gratefully on her ear.
Nechutes scowled, sighed and finally spoke.
"Tape is afflicted in anticipation of the king's departure," he
observed disjointedly.
"Tape does not love Meneptah as Memphis loves him," Kenkenes answered.
"Hast thou not this moment heard Memphis pine for him? Tape would not
have spoken thus. She would have said: 'Would that the king were here
that I might ask a boon of him.' Memphis is the cradle of kings; Tape,
their tomb. Memphis is full of reverence for the Pharaohs; Tape, of
pride; Memphis of loyalty; Tape, of boon-craving. Meneptah returns to
the bosom of his mother when he returns to Memphis."
"But he will not remain here long," Nechutes went on. "He goes to
Tanis to be near the scene of the Israelitish unrest."
"Alas, Ta-meri, and wilt thou droop again?" Kenkenes asked.
"I fear," she assented with a little sigh. Then, after a pause, she
asked: "Does the murket follow the court?"
Kenkenes shook his head. "Not when the Pharaoh travels.
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