sort of
horribly icy intentness. The expression about his lips and eyes was more
than bitter; it showed a frozen fierceness.

On the other side of the table was seated a lean, meager guide,
obviously one of those Greeks who haunt the quays of Constantinople
on the look out for arriving travelers. Now and then this Greek leaned
forward and, with a sort of servile and anxious intelligence, spoke to
his companion. He received no reply. The other man went on smoking and
staring at the _boite de surprises_ as if he were alone. And somehow he
seemed actually to be alone, encompassed by a frightful solitude.

"A tragic face, isn't it?" said the man who had first spoken.

"By Jove it is!" returned the officer. "I wonder that woman can go on
singing so close to it."

"Probably she hasn't seen him. How many years do you give him?"

"Thirty-eight or forty."

"He isn't out for pleasure, that's certain."

"Pleasure! One would suppose he'd been keeping house with Medusa
and--the deuce, she's seen him!"

At this moment the singer looked towards the stranger, quavered,
faltered, nearly broke down, then, as if with an effort, raised her
voice more shrilly and defiantly, exaggerated her meaningless gestures
and looked away. A moment later she finished her song and turned to
strut off the stage. As she did so she shot a sort of fascinated glance
at the dark man. He took his cigar from his mouth and puffed the smoke
towards her, probably without knowing that he did so. With a startled
jerk she bounded into the wings.

At this moment John returned with two cups of coffee.

"You know everything, John. Tell us who that man over there is," said
Ellis, indicating the stranger.

John sent a devouring glance past the old Turk's double chin, a glance
which, as it were, swallowed at one gulp the dark man, his guide, the
siphon, the water-bottle and the glass partially full of the yellow
liquid.

"I dunno him. He is noo."

"Is he English?"

"Sure!" returned John, almost with a sound of contempt.

He never made a mistake about any man's nationality, could even tell
a Spanish Jew from a Portuguese Jew on a dark night at ten yards'
distance.

"I tell you who he is later. I know the guide, a damned fool and a rogue
of a Greek that has been in prison. He robs all his people what take
him."

"You needn't bother," said Ellis curtly.

"Of course not. Shut up, John, and don't run down your brothers in
crime."

"That man my brother