ish money is yours!"

"Let me see."

He drew out a wallet and held up a number of notes.

"Fifty," he said, in a subdued voice, "when you point him out."

For a long moment Zahara hesitated, then:

"Sixty," she corrected him--"now! Then I will do it to-night--if you
tell what happens."

Exhibiting a sort of eager impatience the man displayed a bunch of
official-looking documents.

"I give him these," he explained, "and my work is done."

"H'm," said Zahara. "He must not know that it is I who have shown him
to you. To-night he will be here at nine o'clock, and I shall dance. You
understand?"

"Then," said the Spaniard eagerly, "this is what you will do."

And speaking close to her ear he rapidly outlined a plan; but presently
she interrupted him.

"Pooh! It is Spanish, the rose. I dance the dances of Egypt."

"But to-night," he persisted, "it will not matter."

Awhile longer they talked, the rapping of the stick upon the tiled floor
growing ever faster and faster. But finally:

"I will tell Hassan that you are to be admitted," said Zahara, and she
held out her hand for the notes.

When, presently, the visitors departed, she learned that the smaller
man was blind; for his companion led him out of the room and out of
the house. She stood awhile listening to the tap, tap, tap of the heavy
stick receding along the street. What she did not hear, and could not
have understood had she heard, since it was uttered in Spanish, was the
cry of exultant hatred which came from the lips of the taller man:

"At last, Miguel! at last! Though blind, you have found him! You have
not failed. I shall not fail!"

*****

Zahara peeped through the carved screen at the assembled company. They
were smoking and drinking and seemed to be in high good humour. Safiyeh
had danced and they had applauded the performance, but had complained
to M. Agapoulos that they had seen scores of such dances and dancers.
Safiyeh, who had very little English, had not understood this, and
because presently she was to play upon the a'ood while Zahara danced the
Dance of the Veils, Zahara had avoided informing her of the verdict of
the company.

Now as she peeped through the lattice in the screen she could see
the Greek haggling with Grantham and a tall gray-haired man whom she
supposed to be Sir Horace Tipton. They were debating the additional fees
to be paid if Zahara, the Star of Egypt, was to present the secret
and wonderful dance of which a