ple,
nor shall he ever look upon the sun again. Of this ye are warned. Since
the Hathor came again to Khem, of men seven hundred and three have gone
to win her, and of bodies seven hundred and two lie within the vaults,
for of all these men Pharaoh Meneptah alone hath gone back living. Yet
there is place for more! Enter, ye who would look upon the Hathor!"

Now there arose a mighty wailing from the women. They clung madly about
the necks of those who were dear to them, and some clung not in vain.
For the hearts of many failed them at the last, and they shrank from
entering in. But a few of those who had already looked upon the Hathor
from afar, perchance a score in all, struck the women from them and
rushed up to the gates.

"Surely thou wilt not enter in?" quoth Rei, clinging to the arm of the
Wanderer. "Oh, turn thy back on death and come back with me. I pray thee
turn."

"Nay," said the Wanderer, "I will go in."

Then Rei the Priest threw dust upon his head, wept aloud, and turned and
fled, never stopping till he came to the Palace, where sat Meriamun the
Queen.

Now the priest unbarred a wicket in the gates of bronze, and one by one
those who were stricken of the madness entered in. For all of these
had seen the Hathor many times from afar without the wall, and now they
could no more withstand their longing. And as they entered two other
priests took them by the hand and bound their eyes with cloths, so that
unless they willed it they might not see the glory of the Hathor, but
only hear the sweetness of her voice. But two there were who would not
be blindfolded, and of these one was that man whose wife had fainted by
the way, and the other was a man sightless from his youth. For although
he might not see the beauty of the Goddess, this man was made mad by the
sweetness of her voice. Now, when all had entered in, save the
Wanderer, there was a stir in the crowd, and a man rushed up. He was
travel-stained, he had a black beard, black eyes, and a nose hooked like
a vulture's beak.

"Hold!" he cried. "Hold! Shut not the gates! Night and day have I
journeyed from the host of the Apura who fly into the wilderness. Night
and day have I journeyed, leaving wife and flocks and children and the
Promise of the Land, that I may once more look upon the beauty of the
Hathor. Shut not the gates!"

"Pass in," said the priest, "pass in, so shall we be rid of one of those
whom Khem nurtured up to rob her."

He entered; then