lowing in the first warm light
of the rising sun, and crowds of people, who had suddenly emerged, ran
shrilling to the waterside behind him.

Kaid's pale face had all last night's friendliness, as he bade David
farewell with great honour, and commended him to the care of Allah; and
the swords of the Nubians clashed against their breasts and on their
shields in salaam.

But there was another farewell to make; and it was made as David's foot
touched the deck of the steamer. Once again David looked at Nahoum as
he had done six years ago, in the little room where they had made their
bond together. There was the same straight look in Nahoum's eyes. Was he
not to be trusted? Was it not his own duty to trust? He clasped Nahoum's
hand in farewell, and turned away. But as he gave the signal to start,
and the vessel began to move, Nahoum came back. He leaned over the
widening space and said in a low tone, as David again drew near:

"There is still an account which should be settled, Saadat. It has
waited long; but God is with the patient. There is the account of
Foorgat Bey."

The light fled from David's eyes and his heart stopped beating for a
moment. When his eyes saw the shore again Nahoum was gone with Kaid.

CHAPTER XXXV. THE FLIGHT OF THE WOUNDED

"And Mario can soothe with a tenor note
The souls in purgatory."

"Non ti scordar di mi!" The voice rang out with passionate stealthy
sweetness, finding its way into far recesses of human feeling. Women
of perfect poise and with the confident look of luxury and social fame
dropped their eyes abstractedly on the opera-glasses lying in their
laps, or the programmes they mechanically fingered, and recalled, they
knew not why--for what had it to do with this musical narration of a
tragic Italian tale!--the days when, in the first flush of their wedded
life, they had set a seal of devotion and loyalty and love upon their
arms, which, long ago, had gone to the limbo of lost jewels, with the
chaste, fresh desires of worshipping hearts. Young egotists, supremely
happy and defiant in the pride of the fact that they loved each
other, and that it mattered little what the rest of the world enjoyed,
suffered, and endured--these were suddenly arrested in their buoyant and
solitary flight, and stirred restlessly in their seats. Old men whose
days of work were over; who no longer marshalled their legions, or moved
at a nod great ships upon the waters in masterful mano