Her face was so near to him that he felt the glow from her warm cheek.
His gaze met hers and, for a moment, dwelt.
All the attraction of her gorgeous habiliments, her warm assurance and
her inceptive tenderness detached themselves from the general fusion
and became distinct. Her beauty, her fervor, her audacity, were not
unusually pronounced on this occasion, but the spell for Kenkenes was
broken and the inner working's were open to him. Different indeed was
the picture that rose before his mind--a picture of a fair face,
wondrously and spiritually beautiful; of the quick blush and sweet
dignity and unapproachable womanhood. His eyes fell and for a moment
his lids were unsteady, but the color surged back into his cheeks and
his lips tightened.
He took Io's hands, which were clasped across his knee, and rising,
gave the chair to Ta-meri. He found a taboret for himself, and as he
put it down at her feet, he saw Nechutes fling himself into a chair and
scowl blackly at the nomarch's daughter. Kenkenes sighed and
interested himself in the babble that went on about him.
The first word he distinguished was the name of Har-hat, pronounced in
clear tones. Menes, who sat next to Kenkenes, put out his foot and
trod on the speaker's toes.
Pages:
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271