triumphed. No shame made her eyes drop; no fear
weakened their challenge. They boldly said, "You see, I know, I have
learnt. You are not all that you look. I have discovered the other
woman."

With extraordinary clearness Margaret visualized Millicent's delicate
fingers turning over the pages of her diary. She could see her eyes
gloating over its secret passages. She could feel Millicent's
beautiful presence filling her plain little bedroom, which would never
be the same again. Her delicate fragrance, which was no stronger than
the subtle perfume of English wild flowers, was probably lingering in
it still. Meg felt herself clumsily big and masculine beside her, for
Millicent never allowed you to forget that, above all things, she was a
woman, that in her companionship with men she was not of the same sex.

When the eye of Horus was once more, with Freddy's assistance, securely
fastened on to the gold chain, and the coffee had been drunk and
cigarettes were being indulged in, Mrs. Mervill's American friend
appeared at the hut.

He was a very agreeable and cultured man. His chief interest in things
Egyptian was centred in the subject of ancient festivals. When he was
smoking with the party, a really interesting discussion took place
between the three men. Mr. Harben, the newcomer, had been particularly
interested in the "intoxication festivals" held in honour of the
goddess Hathor at Dendereh.

Michael naturally had read more upon the subject of the festival of
Isis. At her festival the "Songs of Isis" were sung in the temples of
Osiris by two virgins. These festivals were held for five days at the
sowing season every year. These "songs of Isis," of course, related to
the destruction of Osiris by Set and the eventual reconstruction of his
body by his wife Isis and her sister goddess Nephthys. In other words,
it was the festival of the triumph of light over darkness, the power of
righteousness over evil, the oldest of all battles.

During the discussion Millicent Mervill was at her best. She was
intellectually curious and excitable. The festival of Isis bored her;
she did not care for or believe in the inevitable triumph of light over
darkness. With her evil flourished like a green bay-tree, while
righteousness was its own reward--and a very dull one. She was
religious, after the conventional fashion of the people with whom she
consorted; she enjoyed going to a church where there was good music or