di on board the _Loulia_?"

"Yes, my lady."

She could hardly repress an exclamation.

"He is? Ibrahim"--in her astonishment she put one hand on his shoulder
and grasped it tightly--"to-night, as soon as dinner is over, you are to
have a felucca ready at the foot of the garden. D'you understand?"

He looked at her very seriously.

"Can you manage to row me across to the _Loulia_ without help?"

"My lady, I am as strong as Rameses the Second."

"Very well then! Get a small, light boat. We shall go more quickly in
that. How long is Baroudi going to stay?"

"I dunno."

"Try to find out. Is Hamza with him?"

Ibrahim looked vicious.

"Hamza him there. But Hamza very bad boy. I not speak any more to
Hamza."

"Don't forget! Directly after dinner."

She shut and relocked the door.

She took a hot bath, let down her hair, got into a wrapper, lay down,
and tried to rest. But her body twitched with desire for active
movement, almost worn out though she was. Again and again she got up,
went out to the terrace, and looked at the _Loulia_. She took her
glasses and tried to discern Baroudi on the upper deck. But she could
not see him. Presently she pulled a long chair out to the balcony, and
was just going to lie down on it when she heard a knock on the door.

"Ruby!"

It was Nigel. She felt inclined to rush across the room, to open the
door, to seize him by the shoulders and thrust him out of the house, out
of her life for ever.

"Ruby!"

"I am coming!" she said.

She waited an instant, striving for self-control. Every nerve in her
body seemed to be quivering.

"The door is locked."

"I know. I'm coming! I'm coming!"

She set her teeth, went to the door, and unlocked it.

"Come in! Come in, your importunate man!"

"Importunate! But I haven't seen you for three nights. And I can't get
on without you, Ruby. Thank God, to-night we shall be alone together.
After dinner I want you to play to me."

Her face twitched.

"If I'm not too tired."

"We'll go to bed quite early."

He shut the door.

"I'll come and sit in here with you. I want to take your opinion about
this cheque to Isaacson."

He sighed heavily.

He had a pencil and some paper in his hands, and he sat down by a table.

"I must get this off my mind. After what has happened, I must pay
Isaacson, though otherwise I think we--" He sighed again. "Let me see,
when did he first come on board to take care of me?"

* * *