"
He dropped back on his divan and Hotep slowly collected his writing
materials and made ready to depart. Having finished, he lingered a
little.
"A word further, O Rameses. Kenkenes is proud. He would liefer die
than suffer the humiliation of public shame. Memphis believes him
dead. None but thyself, Har-hat, the noble Mentu and I know of his
plight. Har-hat hath no call to tell it. Mentu will not; I shall not.
Wilt thou keep his secret also, my Prince?"
"Far be it from me to humiliate him publicly. Let him have a care,
hereafter, that he does not humiliate himself."
"I thank thee, O Rameses."
Saluting the prince, Hotep departed.
That night he wrote to Kenkenes and to Mentu, and the two messengers
departed ere midnight.
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE IDOLS CRUMBLE
Meanwhile Kenkenes seldom saw a human face. Food and water in red clay
vessels, bearing the seal of Thebes, were set inside his door by
disembodied hands. At intervals he saw the keeper, always attended by
the inevitable scribe, but the visit was a matter of inspection and
rarely was the prisoner addressed.
Though he grew to expect these visits, each time the bar rattled down
he trembled with the hope that the jailer brought him freedom.
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