ck to England to her that's waiting at the Red Mansion, and you will
remember, Soolsby--"

Slowly the great flotilla of dahabiehs floated with the strong current
down towards Cairo, the great sails swelling to the breeze that blew
from the Libyan Hills. Along the bank of the Nile thousands of Arabs and
fellaheen crowded to welcome "the Saadat," bringing gifts of dates and
eggs and fowls and dourha and sweetmeats, and linen cloth; and even
in the darkness and in the trouble that was on her, and the harrowing
regret that she had not been with Eglington in his last hour--she little
knew what Eglington had said to Faith in that last hour--Hylda's heart
was soothed by the long, loud tribute paid to David.

As she sat in the evening light, David and Lacey came, and were received
by the Duchess of Snowdon, who could only say to David, as she held his
hand, "Windlehurst sent his regards to you, his loving regards. He was
sure you would come home--come home. He wished he were in power for your
sake."

So, for a few moments she talked vaguely, and said at last: "But Lady
Eglington, she will be glad to see you, such old friends as you are,
though not so old as Windlehurst and me--thirty years, over thirty la,
la!"

They turned to go to Hylda, and came face to face with Kate Heaver.

Kate looked at David as one would look who saw a lost friend return from
the dead. His eyes lighted, he held out his hand to her.

"It is good to see thee here," he said gently. "And 'tis the cross-roads
once again, sir," she rejoined.

"Thee means thee will marry Jasper?"

"Ay, I will marry Jasper now," she answered. "It has been a long
waiting."

"It could not be till now," she responded.

David looked at her reflectively, and said: "By devious ways the human
heart comes home. One can only stand in the door and wait. He has been
patient."

"I have been patient, too," she answered.

As the Duchess disappeared with David, a swift change came over Lacey.
He spun round on one toe, and, like a boy of ten, careered around the
deck to the tune of a negro song.

"Say, things are all right in there with them two, and it's my turn
now," he said. "Cute as she can be, and knows the game! Twice a widow,
and knows the game! Waiting, she is down in Cairo, where the orange
blossom blows. I'm in it; we're all in it--every one of us. Cousin
Hylda's free now, and I've got no past worth speaking of; and, anyhow,
she'll understand, down there in Cairo. C