om he had
even seen apparently "Europeanized," as he put it, but who, when the
moment came, had shown themselves "native" to the core.

"And it is even so when there is mingled blood," he said. "For instance,
that man you saw to-night smoking hashish, wrapped up in that dirty old
gibbeh, had a Greek mother, and may have--no doubt has--some aptitudes,
some characteristics that are Greek, but they are dominated, almost
swallowed up by the East that is in him."

"Do you know him?"

"I have never spoken to him, but I have heard a great deal about
him--from Egyptians, mind you, as well as Europeans. With the English,
and foreigners generally, he is an immense success. He is a very clever
man, and has excellent qualities, I believe. But he is of the East. He
is capable of giving one--who does not know very much--the most profound
surprises. To ordinary eyes he shows nothing, nothing of what he is. He
seems calm, dominating, practical, even cold and businesslike, full
always of the most complete self-possession, calculating, but generous,
and kind, charming, polished, suave and indifferent, with a sort of
tremendously masculine indifference. I have often seen him in society.
Even to me he has given that type of impression."

"And what is the real man?"

"Red-hot under the crust, a tremendous hater and a simply tremendous
lover. But he hates with his soul and he loves with his body--they say.
They say he's the slave of his soul in hatred, the slave of his body in
love. He's committed crimes for women, if I ever get truth from my
native friends. And I believe I am one of the few Europeans who can get
a good deal of truth from the natives."

"Crimes, you say?"

"Yes," returned Starnworth, with his odd, negligent manner, which
suggested a man who would undertake a desert journey full of tremendous
hardships clad in a dressing-gown and slippers.

"But not for his own women, not for the beauties of the East. Baroudi is
one of the many Egyptians who go mad over the women of Europe and of the
New World, who go mad over their fairness of skin, their delicate
colouring and shining hair. There was a dancer at the opera house here
one season--a Dane she was, all fairness, the Northern sunbeam type--"

"I know."

"He spent thousands upon her. Gave her a yacht, took her off in it to
the Greek islands and Naples. Presently she wanted to marry."

"Him?"

"A merchant of Copenhagen, a very rich man. Baroudi was charming about
it