it.

At last it was over, and he was left to himself for the few
remaining hours before his departure.

It yet wanted at least a couple of hours to midnight. George had
stretched himself out upon his couch, taking all the rest he could
to prepare himself for his journey. He was buried in deep thought,
and not a sound broke the stillness of the room; so profound was the
silence that he gradually began to feel drowsy, and every now and
then he found his eyelids closing involuntarily. He fought against
this sleepiness for some time, but at last he fell into a light
slumber.

Suddenly he was aroused by a gust of cool air passing over his face,
and sitting bolt upright with a start, his eyes rested on the
motionless figure of an Arab standing in the centre of the room,
watching him.

George rubbed his eyes and stared again at the figure, hardly able
to realize that it was a human being, and not a creature of his
fancy. The sleepiness passed instantly, and his faculties became
intensely acute. He sprang from his bed and stood confronting his
visitor.

"Who are you, and what the deuce do you want here?" he asked
sharply, eyeing the stranger from head to foot with a stern glance.

The man was dressed in the native costume of the lower class of
Arab, and his features were peculiarly regular for the colour of his
skin--details which George was not slow to note. The fellow was
armed with the usual long knife stuck in his waist-cloth, and looked
the picture of the unscrupulous mercenary so frequently found abroad
at the time.

"I come as a messenger from Naoum," replied the stranger, in a
peculiar, strained tone of voice. "I have matters of importance to
communicate to you."

At the sound of the man's voice George eyed him keenly, then as the
purport of his mission fell on his ears, the faintest suspicion of a
smile passed over his face.

"Ah," he said, keeping his eyes steadily fixed on the man's face,
"and what has Naoum to say to me?"

"Your escape cannot be attempted to-night. News has got abroad, and
the guards are doubled. Your enemy, the officer Arden, has
discovered your plans and will thwart them."

"Oh," said George, walking to the door and fastening it. "So our
plans are frustrated? 'm! that's bad," he said thoughtfully. "Then
what is to be done?"

As he spoke, he came close to the Arab, and peered steadily into his
face. The man never for an instant flinched under the close
scrutiny, but returned glan