Page:Orczy--the gates of Kamt.djvu/230

 "And yet thou wouldst leave it?"

"I crave of thee to forgive my seeming ingratitude, for though fair be thy palace and fragrant thy garden, I would fain leave them to-day."

"Leave them and me?" she said sadly.

"Ay! leave them and thee, Princess," said Hugh, with that same icy calm with which he responded to Neit-akrit's fascinating ways, "lest if I remained even one day longer, I might leave that behind me which is more precious to me than aught else on earth."

"What is that?" she asked. "Thou needst not fear, I will guard it for thee, wherever thou goest."

"Nay, a man is sole guardian of that most precious treasure; women often do not know its worth, and I fear I am proving but a sorry keeper myself, hence the reason why I would go."

"Wilt say farewell to me before thou goest?"

"I will do that now with thy permission. I have promised the inhabitants of Net-amen that I would visit them, and having gone I will not come back, but go straight to Tanis and await there the coming of Queen Maat-kha for our approaching marriage."

"So soon?" she asked very quietly.

"In seventy days, Princess."

"Farewell then, oh, beloved of the gods; thou hast indeed graced the abode of thy kinswoman by dwelling beneath its roof."

"Hast forgiven me, then?"

"I to thee? What have I to forgive?"

"Everything. I came and the double crown of Kamt, which already hovered over thy brow, was ruthlessly snatched from thee. My presence deprived thee of a throne. It were meet that thou shouldst seek revenge upon the intruder, instead of which thou didst bid him welcome."