y-four hours since she had arrived in Cairo, and very soon she
would know the worst or the best. She had put her past away for the
moment, and the Duchess of Snowdon had found at Marseilles a silent,
determined, yet gentle-tongued woman, who refused to look back, or to
discuss anything vital to herself and Eglington, until what she had
come to Egypt to do was accomplished. Nor would she speak of the future,
until the present had been fully declared and she knew the fate of David
Claridge. In Cairo there were only varying rumours: that he was still
holding out; that he was lost; that he had broken through; that he was a
prisoner--all without foundation upon which she could rely.

As she neared the Palace entrance, a female fortune-teller ran forward,
thrusting towards her a gazelle's skin, filled with the instruments of
her mystic craft, and crying out: "I divine-I reveal! What is present
I manifest! What is absent I declare! What is future I show! Beautiful
one, hear me. It is all written. To thee is greatness, and thy heart's
desire. Hear all! See! Wait for the revealing. Thou comest from afar,
but thy fortune is near. Hear and see. I divine--I reveal. Beautiful
one, what is future I show."

Hylda's eyes looked at the poor creature eagerly, pathetically. If it
could only be, if she could but see one step ahead! If the veil
could but be lifted! She dropped some silver into the folds of the
gazelle-skin and waved the Gipsy away. "There is darkness, it is all
dark, beautiful one," cried the woman after her, "but it shall be light.
I show--I reveal!"

Inside these Palace walls there was a revealer of more merit, as she so
well and bitterly knew. He could raise the veil--a dark and dangerous
necromancer, with a flinty heart and a hand that had waited long to
strike. Had it struck its last blow?

Outside Nahoum's door she had a moment of utter weakness, when her knees
smote together, and her throat became parched; but before the door had
swung wide and her eyes swept the cool and shadowed room, she was as
composed as on that night long ago when she had faced the man who knew.

Nahoum was standing in a waiting and respectful attitude as she entered.
He advanced towards her and bowed low, but stopped dumfounded, as he saw
who she was. Presently he recovered himself; but he offered no further
greeting than to place a chair for her where her face was in the shadow
and his in the light--time of crisis as it was, she noticed t