to him from the time he
had left Alexandria with the patrol. When he had finished, Naoum
looked thoughtful.

"So you are an escaped prisoner of Arabi's," he said at last; "that
is not good. It makes my task harder, but you must be saved
somehow," and he relapsed into deep thought, drumming on the side
of a cabinet which he leant against. "Just now I am very powerful
with Arabi, he has forced me into service, with the alternative of
confiscating my property. I am now one of his means of raising
money, and as my fortune is considerable, he cannot quarrel with me,
but----"

"Surely," broke in George, "you are not fighting on his side?"

"No, but you do not understand. I am in his hands, and for the sake
of the result of my life's work, I cannot defy him. I take no active
part with him in this war, but I have no other alternative than to
supply him with money on purely business securities, the same as I
would to anybody else. I am, as you well know, against him in all my
feelings. If I refused to do as he requires, I should forfeit
everything; so you see I am compelled. Being with him, I save my
property, and can prevent much mischief by using my influence over
him."

"I see," exclaimed George, heartily, "you are right. It would be
folly to do otherwise. Well, returning to the awkward predicament I
have placed you in, what is best to be done?"

"I heard during the night that trouble had befallen you. In fact,
this note in your writing was brought to me by Belbeis, one of my
men, just as I returned here from Cairo," he went on, producing a
bundle of papers. "I had intended to intercede for you this morning,
but now the situation is more complicated. However," with a smile of
meaning, "I think you can safely leave it to me. For the time being
you are free from the man Abdu, and are, at present, out of reach of
your enemy Arden, so you can take some rest here. Food shall be
brought you at once, and I will go and see what can be done."

George thanked his friend and threw himself on a divan, while his
host started on his errand of mercy.

Good luck, as Naoum had said, was undoubtedly with him, and, as he
lay back, with his weary, tired eyes closed from the bright light of
the rising sun, he felt that Providence had been indeed good. He
shuddered again and again as he went over, in thought, the exciting
events of the night, and wondered what awful fate would have been
his if he had chanced to take refuge in front of a