t of wings with their eyes.

"They are going south-east," said Nevill.

XVII

If Victoria Ray had accepted Nevill Caird's invitation to be Lady
MacGregor's guest and his, at Djenan el Djouad, many things might have
been different. But she had wished to be independent, and had chosen to
go to the Hotel de la Kasbah.

When she went down to dinner in the _salle a manger_, shortly after
seven o'clock on the evening of her arrival, only two other tables were
occupied, for it was late in the season, and tourists were leaving
Algiers.

No one who had been on board the _Charles Quex_ was there, and Victoria
saw that she was the only woman in the room. At one table sat a happy
party of Germans, apparently dressed from head to foot by Dr. Jaeger,
and at another were two middle-aged men who had the appearance of
commercial travellers. By and by an elderly Jew came in, and dinner had
reached the stage of peppery mutton ragout, when the door opened again.
Victoria's place was almost opposite, and involuntarily, she glanced up.
The handsome Arab who had crossed from Marseilles on the boat saluted
her with grave courtesy as he met her look, and passed on, casting down
his eyes. He was shown to a table at some distance, the manner of the
Arab waiter who conducted him being so impressive, that Victoria was
sure the newcomer must be a person of importance.

He was beautifully dressed, as before, and the Germans stared at him
frankly, but he did not seem to be aware of their existence. Special
dishes arrived for him, and evidently he had been expected.

There was but one waiter to serve the meal, and not only did he somewhat
neglect the other diners for the sake of the latest arrival, but the
landlord appeared, and stood talking with the Arab while he ate, with an
air of respect and consideration.

The Germans, who had nearly finished their dinner when Victoria came in,
now left the table, using their toothpicks and staring with the
open-eyed interest of children at the picturesque figure near the door.
The commercial travellers and the Jew followed. Victoria also was ready
to go, when the landlord came to her table, bowing.

"Mademoiselle," he said, in French, "I am charged with a message from an
Arab gentleman of distinction, who honours my house by his presence.
Sidi Maieddine ben el Hadj Messaoud is the son of an Agha, and therefore
he is a lord, and Mademoiselle need have no uneasiness that he would
condescend to a