's hand
heartily as he spoke. "How came you here--and are you landing for good,
or just taking a look round this God-forsaken old iniquity of a town?"

"I'm leaving the ship for good. Want to have a look at
Cairo ... interesting place, I've always heard." For a second Anstice
faltered, feeling as though his friend must see through his pretence, and
guess that it was because this land enshrined the one woman in the world
that he was here. But Sir Richard gave no sign of disbelief, and Anstice
was emboldened to proceed. "But you--what are you doing here? I thought
you were somewhere in the desert with--your daughter."

"So I was, so I was." Sir Richard hesitated, then spoke rapidly.
"Anstice, are you alone--and disengaged? I mean--could your stay in
Cairo be postponed for a few days? I want--I came down here to look for
a doctor--never thinking I'd have the luck to find you----"

"A doctor?" Beneath the spur of his quick mind Anstice grew pale. "Is
someone ill? Not--not your daughter?"

"No, not Iris." Unconsciously Anstice breathed a sigh of relief and the
older man glanced at him curiously. "It is Bruce--my son-in-law--who's
ill; and I've come down here to find a doctor. Couldn't get one in
Cairo--it seems the pilgrims have just returned from Mecca bringing
their pet cholera along with them, and the city's got a scare--so I came
down here to meet the boat, meaning to bribe the ship's surgeon to come
back into the desert with me. If he wouldn't respond to _bakshish_ I
should have tried kidnapping," finished Sir Richard grimly, and Anstice
smiled.

"No need to do that, sir. I'm here, and I'm ready and willing to do all
you require. But first, hadn't I better put in a claim to my belongings?
It seems to me these rascals would think precious little of making off
with all the lot!"

"Yes--better let me see to it for you," said Sir Richard quickly. "We've
not too much time for the train to Cairo as it is. If you will go and
bespeak an _arabeah_ I'll get your baggage."

And as Anstice moved to obey, a very tumult in his heart, Sir Richard
turned back to the wildly-shouting crowd and succeeded in reclaiming
Anstice's portmanteau and Gladstone bag from the clutches of the
blue-robed fiends who fought one another for its possession.

When they were clear of the quay, driving behind the two long-tailed
little horses along the glaring streets, beneath the thinly-leaved and
dusty trees, Anstice turned to Sir Richard interro