"The gods rend his heart to ribbons!" he panted after a tempest of
anathema. "Curse the insatiate brute! Is there not enough of Egypt's
women who are willingly loose that he must destroy the purest spirit on
earth? He shall not have her, if I take his life to save her!"
After a moment's savage rumination, he broke out again.
"He has us on the hip! We shall be put to it to hide her away from him
now. Do thou go to her--nay, I will go."
Rachel heard him enter the tent and walk across the matting on the
floor. She flung her arm over her face and huddled closer to the
linen-covered heap of straw against which she had thrown herself. Even
the eyes of the taskmaster were intolerable, in her shame. Atsu
plunged into the heart of his subject at once.
"There is no escape in the choosing of the tens, now, Rachel. I have
said that I would not vex thee again with my love. Once I offered thee
marriage as refuge. My love and the shelter of my name are thine to
take or leave. I will urge thee no more."
He paused for a space and, as she made no answer, he went on as though
she had rejected him explicitly.
"Then I shall hide thee somewhere in Egypt. The ruse is not secure,
but it may serve.
Pages:
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297