xpression.

The last note fell softly into silence, and with her hands still on
the keys the woman looked up over her shoulder at her brother,
looked with an intentness oddly provocative and prolonged. And for
the first time Arlee caught the quality of sudden and unforeseen
attraction in her, and realized that this insolence of color, this
flaunting hair and painted mouth might have their place in some
scheme of allurement outside her own standards.... And then suddenly
she felt queerly sorry for her, touched by the quick jarring
bitterness of a chord the woman suddenly struck, drowning the
laughing words the Captain had murmured to her.... Arlee felt
vaguely indignant at him. No one wanted to have jokes tossed at her
when she had just poured her heart out in music.

The Captain was on his feet, making his adieux. Now that the ladies
were acquainted, he would leave them to discuss the modes and other
feminine interests. He wished Miss Beecher a delightful trip upon
the Nile and hoped to see her upon her return, and she could be sure
that everything would be arranged for her. When she had had her tea
and wished to leave, the motor would return her to the hotel. He
made a rapid speech in Turkish to his sister, bowed formally to
Arlee over a last _au revoir_ and was gone.

Immediately the old woman entered with a tray of tea things, the
same old woman who had been squatting by the window, but who had
noiselessly left the room during the music. She was followed by a
bewitching little girl of about ten with another tray, who remained
to serve while the old woman shuffled slowly away. Arlee was struck
by the informality of the service; the servants appeared to be
underfoot like rugs; they came and went at will, unregarded.

The tea was most disappointingly ordinary, for the pat of butter
bore the rose stamp of the English dairy and the bread was English
bake, but the sweetmeats were deliciously novel, resembling nothing
Arlee had seen in the shops, and new, too, was the sip of syrup
which completed the refreshment.

Her hostess had said but little during the repast, remaining silent,
with an air of polite attention, her eyes fixed upon her caller with
a gaze the girl found bafflingly inscrutable. Now as the girl rose
to go, the Turkish woman suddenly revived her manners of hostess and
suggested a glimpse of some of the other rooms of the palace. "Our
seclusion interests you--yes?" she said, with a half-sad,
half-bitter