the confusion of her brain made her think of a squirrel
frantically racing in a revolving cage. Then, seeing nothing except
the pen point, she wrote slowly, "What have you done? What have you
done?" And suddenly, in a convulsive hand that sprawled over half the
page, "Betrayed!" She stared at these words in amazement.

Hamoud-bin-Said entered the sitting room. He had on the dark blue joho
edged with a red pattern. His snowy under robe was bound with a blue
and red sash from which protruded the silver hilt of his dagger. His
tan-colored, clear-cut, delicately bearded face was expressionless, as
he said softly:

"The morning paper."

And she realized that the whole story had been discovered, scattered
broadcast.

For a time Hamoud regarded the prostration of her spirit from the
heights of fatalism. But presently, as he contemplated that limp pose,
which added one more novelty to her innumerable beautiful appearances,
the stoicism that had made him look mature gave way to the fervor of
youth--his limpid eyes turned to fire; his full, precisely chiseled
lips were distorted by a pang. He appeared as before, however, when
she raised her head and uttered:

"Burn it."

His reverie had a flavor of commiseration now, as though he were saying
to himself, "Who can catch all the leaves before they fall to the
ground? Who can sweep back the waves of the sea?" He responded:

"The men who make these things have been telephoning half the night.
And now they are here themselves."

"Here!"

"They are sitting on the steps," he affirmed, lost in a gloomy,
relishing consideration of the wonders of life. "They wish to talk to
you and to Mr. Verne."

He pronounced these words as if he had no idea of their enormity.

Her spirit stirred at this threat. All seemed lost except the
phenomenon of David living, by which, in her distraction, she hoped
somehow to justify herself. To the amazement of the world one might
oppose the fact of genius miraculously unfolding through her sacrifice.
But she thought, "The world! What is that?" And thereupon, "All the
same it shall not strike down this helpless creature." And the world
became a monster, unfeeling, indeed immeasurably malign, lying far off
with the teeming cells of its brain all plotting to rob her of her
wretched victory, and with the claws of one outstretched paw already
touching the threshold of this house.

"You are to drive them away."

She went on groping fo