blow. You are too evidently a Frank to be of
any use. I wish you were a Turk, Griggs. You have such an enviably sober
appearance. You speak Turkish just well enough to make me wish you would
never betray yourself by little slips in the verbs and mistakes in using
Arabic words. Only educated Osmanlis can detect those errors: just now
they are the very people we want to deceive."

"I can pass for anything else here without being found out," I answered.
"I can pass for a Persian when there are no Persians about, or for a
Panjabi Mussulman, if necessary."

"That is an idea. You might be an Indian Hadji. I will think of it."

"What in the world do you intend to do?" I asked, suspecting my friend
of some rash or violent project.

"A very sly trick," he replied, with his usual sarcastic smile. "There
need not necessarily be any violence about it, unless we find Alexander
alive, in which case you and I must manage to get him out of the house."

"Tell me your plan," I said. "Let me hear what it is like."

"No; I will tell you to-night, when I know whether it is possible or
not. You are going to dine with your friends? Yes; very well, when you
have finished, come here, and we will see what can be done. We must only
pray that the iniquitous old woman may live till morning."

It was clear that Gregorios was not ready, and that nothing would induce
him to speak what was in his mind. I showed no further curiosity, and at
the appointed time I left the house to go and dine with the Carvels.

"Say nothing to Patoff," said Balsamides, as I went out.

I found the Carvels assembled in their sitting-room, and we went to
dinner. I could not help looking from time to time at Paul's mother, who
surprised me by her fluent conversation and perfect self-possession.
With the exception that she was present and that Professor Cutter was
absent, the dinner was very much like the meals at Carvel Place. I
noticed that Paul was placed between Mrs. Carvel and his mother, while
Hermione was on the opposite side of the table. But their eyes met
constantly, and there was evidently a perfect understanding between
them. Paul looked once more as I had seen him when he was talking to
Hermione in England, and the coldness I so much disliked had temporarily
disappeared from his face. I did not know what had occurred during the
afternoon, since I had left the hotel, and it was not until later that I
learned some of the details of the meeting.

When the