rought me first? I said I should like to live here.
Wasn't I silly?"

She turned again, then suddenly rose to her feet and staggered back to
the back of the box, pointing outward, with an expression of wild terror
on her face.

"Hamdi--he's down there--he saw me."

I sprang to her assistance and put my arm around her.

"Nonsense, dear," said I.

But Pasquale, looking around the house, cried:

"By Jove! she's right. I would recognise the old villain a thousand
years hence in Tartarus. There he is."

I left Carlotta, and the first person my eyes rested upon in the stalls
was my obese but suave Oriental, regarding the box with an impassive
countenance.

"That's Hamdi Effendi, all right," said Pasquale.

Carlotta clutched my arms as I joined her at the back of the box.

"Oh, take me away, Seer Marcous, take me away," she moaned piteously. My
poor child was white and shaken with fear. I again put my arm round her.

"No harm can happen to you, dear," I said, soothingly.

"Oh, darling Seer Marcous, take me home," cried Carlotta.

"Very well," said I. I helped her on with her wrap, and apologising to
the two others, begged them to remain.

"We'll all go together," said Judith quietly.

"And form a body-guard," laughed Pasquale.

Carlotta clinging to my arm we left the box and slipped through the
promenade and down the stairs.

Hamdi Effendi, having anticipated our intention, cut off our retreat in
the vestibule. Carlotta shrank nearer to me.

"I beg your pardon, Monsieur, but may I have the pleasure of a few words
with you about this young lady?" said he in the urbanest manner and the
most execrable French.

"I hardly see the necessity," said I.

"Pardon me, but this young lady is a Turkish subject and my daughter.
My name is Hamdi Effendi, Prefect of Police at Aleppo, and my address in
London is the Hotel Metropole."

"I am charmed to make your acquaintance," said I. "I have often heard
of you from Mademoiselle--but I believe both her father and mother were
English, so she is neither your daughter nor a Turkish subject."

"Ah, that we will see," rejoined the polite Oriental. He addressed some
words rapidly in Turkish to Carlotta, who shudderingly replied in the
same language.

"Mademoiselle unfortunately does not consent to accompany me," he
interpreted with a smile. "So I am afraid I will have to take her back
without her consent."

"If you do, Hamdi Effendi," said Pasquale in a light tone of
c