The distance between himself
and Tangier was twenty-five miles, and involved several detours inland
into country which was wholly uninhabited, save at that moment it held
the camp of Muley Hafiz, who was engaged in negotiation with the Spanish
Government for one of those "permanent peaces" which frequently last for
years.

Muley Hafiz sat drinking his coffee at midnight, listening to the
strains of an ornate gramophone, which stood in a corner of his square
tent.

A voice outside the silken fold of his tent greeted him, and he stopped
the machine.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Lord, we have captured a man and a woman walking along by the sea."

"They are Riffi people--let them go," said Muley in Arabic. "We are
making peace, my man, not war."

"Lord, these are infidels; I think they are English."

Muley Hafiz twisted his trim little beard.

"Bring them," he said.

So they were brought to his presence, a dishevelled man and a girl at
the sight of whose face, he gasped.

"My little friend of the Riviera," he said wonderingly, and the smile
she gave him was like a ray of sunshine to his heart.

He stood up, a magnificent figure of a man, and she eyed him admiringly.

"I am sorry if my men have frightened you," he said. "You have nothing
to fear, madame. I will send my soldiers to escort you to Tangier."

And then he frowned. "Where did you come from?"

She could not lie under the steady glance of those liquid eyes.

"We landed on the shore from a boat. We lost our way," she said.

He nodded.

"You must be she they are seeking," he said. "One of my spies came to me
from Tangier to-night, and told me that the Spanish and the French
police were waiting to arrest a lady who had committed some crime in
France. I cannot believe it is you--or if it is, then I should say the
crime was pardonable."

He glanced at Marcus.

"Or perhaps," he said slowly, "it is your companion they desire."

Jean shook her head.

"No, they do not want him," she said, "it is I they want."

He pointed to a cushion.

"Sit down," he said, and followed her example.

Marcus alone remained standing, wondering how this strange situation
would develop.

"What will you do? If you go into Tangier I fear I could not protect
you, but there is a city in the hills," he waved his hand, "many miles
from here, a city where the hills are green, mademoiselle, and where
beautiful springs gush out of the ground, and there I am lord."

She dre