as perishing, all rushed
like one man to arms; and so that terrible war has been kindled in
which thus far the Egyptians have met with such poor success. The Mahdi
has defeated the forces of the Government in every battle. He has
occupied Kordofan, Darfur, and the Sudan; his hordes at present are
laying a siege to Khartum and are advancing to the north as far as the
frontiers of Nubia."

"Can they advance as far as Egypt?" asked Stas.

"No," answered Mr. Rawlinson. "The Mahdi announces, indeed, that he
will conquer the whole world, but he is a wild man who has no
conception of anything. He never will take Egypt, as England would not
permit it."

"If, however, the Egyptian troops are completely routed?"

"Then would appear the English armies which no one has ever overcome."

"And why did England permit the Mahdi to occupy so much territory?"

"How do you know that she has permitted it?" replied Mr. Rawlinson.
"England is never in a hurry because she is eternal."

Further conversation was interrupted by a negro servant, who announced
that Fatma Smain had arrived and begged for an audience.

Women in the East are occupied exclusively with household affairs and
seldom leave the harems. Only the poorer ones go to the market or work
in the fields, as the wives of the fellahs, the Egyptian peasants, do;
but these at such times veil their faces. Though in the Sudan, from
which region Fatma came, this custom was not observed, and though she
had come to Mr. Rawlinson's office previously, nevertheless, her
arrival, particularly at such a late hour and at a private house,
evoked surprise.

"We shall learn something new about Smain," said Pan Tarkowski.

"Yes," answered Mr. Rawlinson, giving at the same time a signal to the
servant to usher Fatma in.

Accordingly, after a while there entered a tall, young Sudanese woman
with countenance entirely unveiled, complexion very dark, and eyes
beautiful but wild, and a trifle ominous. Entering, she at once
prostrated herself, and when Mr. Rawlinson ordered her to rise, she
raised herself but remained on her knees.

"Sidi," she said, "May Allah bless thee, thy posterity, thy home, and
thy flocks!"

"What do you want?" asked the engineer.

"Mercy, help, and succor in misfortune, oh, sir! I am imprisoned in
Port Said and destruction hangs over me and my children."

"You say that you are imprisoned, and yet you could come here, and in
the night-time at that."

"I have been