SEKHET SEKHET BY IRENE MILLER [Illustration] LONDON JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD NEW YORK JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMXII THE ANCHOR PRESS, LTD., TIPTREE, ESSEX. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. BORN TO BEAUTY 1 II. A FRIEND IN NEED 6 III. A RICH CASKET FOR A RARE JEWEL 12 IV. THE WAY OF A MAN WITH A MAID 18 V. THE WILES OF THE FOWLER 28 VI. A SOUL'S BATTLE 37 VII. ROSES AND RAPTURES 45 VIII. LUCINDA BELMONT 50 IX. HOW EGYPT WAS RUINED FOR EVARNE 53 X. THE SHRINE OF SEKHET 60 XI. A LOSING STRIFE 66 XII. SEKHET, CRUSHER OF HEARTS 73 XIII. OUT OF THE GILDED CAGE 88 XIV. HELPING HANDS 96 XV. THE PROBLEM OF EXISTENCE 1O4 XVI. EVARNE'S FIRST ENGAGEMENT 117 XVII. A STRANGE INTRODUCTION TO THE PROFESSION 124 XVIII. NEW TRIALS AND TROUBLES 131 XIX. NEW FRIENDS 138 XX. REHEARSALS 146 XXI. The CAREER OF "CALEDONIA'S BARD" 153 XXII. POVERTY MAKES ONE ACQUAINTED WITH STRANGE BEDFELLOWS 163 XXIII. A FRESH TURNING 168 XXIV. "STITCH, STITCH, STITCH!" 173 XXV. HARD LUCK 180 XXVI. EVARNE'S VOCATION 188 XXVII. IN ARTIST-LAND 199 XXVIII. GEOFFREY DANVERS 207 XXIX. SEKHET SMILES 218 XXX. A GREAT RESOLVE 226 XXXI. JOURNEYS END IN LOVERS' MEETINGS 234 XXXII. FRANK'S BRILLIANT IDEA 249 XXXIII. THE SHADOW OF COMING EVENTS 256 XXXIV. SEKHET WHETS HER TEETH 264 XXXV. THE STROKE OF SEKHET 278 XXXVI. A FRESH VOW 286