heard of a
clue; indeed, I hope my messenger is already on his way. Have you time to
hear about it now?"

"I ought long since to have been on the other shore; so not to-day, but
to-morrow I hope." The Arab shook hands with her and the physician, and
hastily took his leave.

Paula stood still, thinking. Then it struck her that Hiram was now on the
further side of the Nile, within the jurisdiction of the Arab ruler, and
that the merchant could perhaps intercede for him, if she were to tell
him all she knew. She felt the fullest confidence in the old man, whose
kind and sympathetic face was still visible to her mind's eye, and
without paying any further heed to the physician she went quickly towards
the door of the sick-room. A crucifix hung close by, and the nun had
fallen on her knees before it, praying for her infidel patient, and
beseeching the Good Shepherd to have mercy on the sheep that was not of
His fold. Paula did not venture to disturb the worshipper, who was
kneeling just in the narrow passage; so some minutes elapsed before the
leech, observing her uneasiness, came out of the larger room, touched the
nun on the shoulder, and said in a low voice of genuine kindness:

"One moment, good Sister. Your pious intercession will be heard--but this
damsel is in haste." The nun rose at once and made way, sending a
wrathful glance after Paula as she hurried down the stairs.

At the door of the court-yard she looked out and about for the Arab, but
in vain. Then she enquired of a slave who told her that the merchant's
horse had waited for him at the gate a long time, that he had just come
galloping out, and by this time must have reached the bridge of boats
which connected Memphis with the island of Rodah and, beyond the island,
with the fort of Babylon and the new town of Fostat.

CHAPTER XI.

Paula went up-stairs again, distressed and vexed with herself. Was it the
heat that had enervated her and robbed her of the presence of mind she
usually had at her command? She herself could not understand how it was
that she had not at once taken advantage of the opportunity to plead to
Haschim for her faithful retainer. The merchant might have interested
himself for Hiram.

The slave at the gate had told her that he had not yet been taken; the
time to intercede, then, had not yet come. But she was resolved to do so,
to draw the wrath of her relations down on herself, and, if need should
be, to relate all she had seen