oke
in Thebes and been "too ill for words," and that the _Loulia_, after a
short stay near Luxor, had gone on up the Nile, and was now supposed to
be not far from the temple of Edfou. Not a soul had been able to explore
the marvellous boat. Only a young American doctor, very susceptible
indeed to female charm, had been permitted to set foot on her decks. He
had diagnosed "sunstroke," had prescribed for Nigel Armine, and had come
away "positively raving" about Mrs. Armine--"silly fellow." Isaacson
would have liked a word with him, but he had gone to Assouan.

On the lower deck the boatmen began to sing.

Isaacson paced to and fro. The gentle and monotonous exercise, now
accompanied by monotonous though ungentle music, seemed to assist the
movement of his thought. When he left the garrulous lady patient, he
might have gone to the post-office and telegraphed to the _Loulia_. It
was possible to telegraph to Edfou. Since he intended to leave Luxor and
sail up the Nile, surely the natural thing to do was to let his friend
know of his coming. Why had he not done the natural thing? Some instinct
had advised him against the completely straightforward action. If Nigel
had been alone on the _Loulia_ the telegram would have been sent. That
Isaacson knew. But Nigel was not alone. A spy was with him, she who had
come to spy out the land when she had come to Cleveland Square. Perhaps
it was very absurd, but the remembrance of Bella Donna prevented
Isaacson now from announcing his presence on the Nile. He was resolved
to come to her as she had once come to him. She had appeared in
Cleveland Square carrying her secret reason with her. He would appear in
the shadow of the temple of Horus. And his secret reason? Perhaps he had
none. He was a man who was often led by instinct.

And he trusted very much in his instinctive mistrust of Bella Donna.

The _Fatma_ was no marvellous boat like the _Loulia_. She was small,
poorly furnished, devoid of luxury, and not even very comfortable! That
night Isaacson lay on a mattress so thin that he felt the board beneath
it. The water gurgled close to him against the vessel's side. It seemed
to have several voices, which were holding secret converse together in
the great stillness of the night. For long he lay awake in the
darkness. How different this darkness seemed from that other darkness of
London! He thought of the great temples so near him, of the tombs of the
Kings, of all those wonders to see w