strange lady with her sketchbook, but Marjorie did not
mind that. She made some of the children stand to her, and got several
rather effective groups.

Then she set herself to work in greater earnest. She obtained a seat in
one or two places, and dashed in rapid coloured studies which she could
work upon afterwards. Her _forte_ was for bold effects rather than for
detail, and the strange old city gave her endless subjects. She did not
heed the flight of time. She passed from spot to spot, with her
following growing larger and larger, more and more curious: and so
engrossed was she in her task, that the lengthening of the shadows and
the dipping of the sun behind the walls did not attract her attention.
It was only when she suddenly found herself enveloped in the
quick-coming, semi-tropical shades of darkness that she realised the
necessity to beat a retreat.

She rose quickly and put up her things. There was a ring many deep about
her of curious natives, Arabs, Moors, Jews, Turks--she knew not how many
nationalities were gathered together in that circle. In the broad light
of day she had felt no qualm of uneasiness at the strange dusky faces.
Nobody had molested her, and Marjorie, partly through temperament,
partly through ignorance, had been perfectly fearless in this strange
old city. But with the dimness of evening gathering, she began to wish
herself safe on board the _Oratava_ again; and though she retained her
air of serene composure, she felt a little inward tremor as she moved
away.

The crowd did not attempt to hold her back, but walked with her in a
sort of compact bodyguard; and amongst themselves there was a great deal
of talking and gesticulating, which sounded very heathenish and a little
threatening to Marjorie.

She had realised before that Mogador was a larger place than she had
thought, and now she began to discover that she had no notion of the
right way to the quay. The arcades hemmed her in. She could see nothing
but walls about her and the ever-increasing crowd dogging her steps. Her
heart was beating thick and fast. She was tired and faint from want of
food, and this sudden and unfamiliar sense of fear robbed her of her
customary self-command and courage. She felt more like bursting into
tears than she ever remembered to have done before.

It was no good going on like this, wandering helplessly about in the
darkening town; she must do something and that quickly. Surely some of
these people