reek, he
follows every word I say with malicious watchfulness; he dared to laugh
at me, he. . ."

"He is as discreet as he is brave, and my Vekeel," interrupted Amru
reprovingly. "If you join us you will have to obey him; and remember
this, young man. I sent for you to impose conditions on you, not to have
them dictated to me. I grant you an audience as the ruler of this
country, as the Vicar of Omar, your Khaliff and mine."

"Then I entreat you to dismiss me, for in the presence of that man my
heart and lips are sealed; I feel that he is my enemy."

"Beware of his becoming so!" cried the governor, while Obada shrugged his
shoulders scornfully.

Orion understood this gesture, and although he again succeeded in keeping
cool he felt that he could no longer be sure of himself; he bowed low,
without paying any heed to the Vekeel, and begged Amru to excuse him for
the present.

Amru, who had not failed to observe Obada's demeanor and who keenly
sympathized with what was going on in the young man's mind, did not
detain him; but his manner changed once more; he again became the
pressing host and invited his guest, as it was growing late, to pass the
night under his roof. Orion politely declined, and when at length he
quitted the room--without deigning even to look at the Negro--Amru
accompanied him into the anteroom. There he grasped the young man's hand,
and said in a low voice full of sincere and fatherly interest:

"Beware of the Negro; you let him perceive that you saw through him--it
was brave but rash. For my part I honestly wish you well."

"I believe it, I know it," replied Orion, on whose perturbed soul the
noble Arab's warm, deep accents fell like balm. "And now we are alone I
will gladly confide in you. I, my Lord, I--my father--you knew him. In
cruel wrath, before he closed his eyes, he withdrew his blessing from his
only son."

The memory of the most fearful hour of his life choked his voice for a
moment, but he soon went on: "One single act of criminal folly roused his
anger; but afterwards, in grief and penitence, I thought over my whole
life, and I saw how useless it had been; and now, when I came hither with
a heart full of glad expectancy to place all I have to offer of mind and
gifts at your disposal, I did so, my Lord, because I long to achieve
great and noble, and difficult or, if it might be, impossible deeds--to
be active, to be doing. . ."

Here he was interrupted by Amru, who said, laying hi