"
He did not answer, for there was no desire in his heart to tell his
secret; his experience with Hotep had warned him. Yet the unusual
winsomeness of his father's noble love was hard to resist.
"Thy manner this evening betrays thee as striving to hide one spirit
and show another," she continued, seeing he made no response.
"Thou hast said," he admitted at last; "and I have not succeeded. That
is a sorry incapacity, for the world has small patience with a man who
can not make his face lie."
"Bitter! Thou!" she chid.
"Have I not spoken truly?" he persisted.
"Aye, but why rebel? No man but hides a secret sorrow, and this would
be a tearful world did every one weep when he felt like it."
"But I am most overwhelmingly constrained to weep, so I shall stay out
of the world and vex it not."
She looked at him with startled eyes.
"Art thou so troubled, then?" she asked in a lowered tone.
"Doubly troubled--and hopelessly," he replied, his eyes away from her.
She came nearer and, putting up her hands, laid them on his shoulders.
"You are so young, Kenkenes---so young, and youth is like to make much
of the little first sorrows. Furthermore, these are troublous days.
Saw you not the temper of the assembly to-night? Egypt is a-quiver
with irritation.
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