Then her brown little mouth pressed together. She was thinking hard.

"Do you mean to say," Lady Wychcote put in when Carfew had finished and
Sophy still sat silent, "that, after urging me to send for Dr. Carfew,
you will refuse to follow his advice? Refuse to join with me in
this--this--evidently necessary course?"

"I can't advise using force on Cecil, Lady Wychcote. It would only make
him hate us. It would do no lasting good. Only if he goes of his own
accord will it do good."

Lady Wychcote looked expressively at Carfew, whom she had suddenly
accepted as an ally. "You see what I have to contend with!" said this
look.

They argued with her quite uselessly. She left the room presently, still
resolved not to become a party to the removal of Cecil by force from
Dynehurst.

The great man shrugged his shoulders, as who should say, "The ways of
God and woman are past finding out." Then he looked at his watch. He had
still to see the "patient" who had so unexpectedly consented to an
interview. In accordance with Bellamy's urgent appeal he had consented
to put certain facts before Chesney with unvarnished plainness.

Chesney received him with his sketchy smile.

"Salaam," said he. "It is a relief to receive the Caliph himself, after
having had to put up for so long with the Chief Eunuch. At least you're
a proper male," he concluded, looking with approval at the lean, massive
form of the physician.

Carfew met this imperturbably. He put a few questions, which Chesney
fended with his usual half-droll, half-savage ironies, then he said:

"Has it ever occurred to you to think what the _end_ of your 'pleasant
vice' will be, Mr. Chesney?"

Cecil frowned. But the next instant he resumed his callous, mocking
expression.

"The 'ends' of things, O Guardian of the Faithful," said he, "are with
Allah. _He_ ties them into what bow-knots seemeth best to him."

"Shaitan can tie knots as well as Allah," replied Carfew, who was one of
the best read men in England, as well as one of her foremost scientists.
"He dips them in blood sometimes to warp them tighter," he added grimly.

"Speak more plainly to thy slave, O Chosen of Allah."

"I will," said Carfew. "From what you have said, so far--your allusion
to my confrere Bellamy in particular--I gather that you look upon lack
of virility as a thing to be scoffed at."

"Naturally. Does not Mahomet report Houris in paradise? There will be no
guardians of the Harem there I fancy,