he idiosyncrasies and oddities of
the people and refreshments of the past hours, with a verve which she
fondly believed to be a combination of sarcasm and cynicism, but which,
in reality, was the kernel of the nut of spitefulness, hanging from the
withering bough of the tree of passing youth.

She, having an atrocious seat and knowing it, with the excuse of
England's winter dampness had fled the hunting. The Gruntham's younger
generation, knowing not the difference between a hunter and a
carriage-horse, had not given the subject a thought, but Mary Bingham
had made a whole-hearted sacrifice of the month she loved best because,
although loving her horses with a love of understanding, she knew that
the love in her heart for just the one man, was a love passing all
understanding whatsoever; feeling, therefore, that the sacrifice
brought its own reward in the qualified bliss of being near the one man
of her heart, whilst he passed weeks and months in the vain endeavour
to find their friend, who had been lost to them in the land of the
long-dead Pharaohs.

"Most annoying indeed--great negligence on the part of the city police
to allow a hold-up like this at _this_ hour of the afternoon. No
wonder Egypt's in the mess of ruins it is if this is the way traffic
has always been regulated," fumed and fretted Sir Timothy, whilst Mary
Bingham twirled her sunshade over her hat and gazed unseeingly at the
domes, cupolas, and minarets of the distant mosque of the Mohamet Ali;
and the thin heir of the race of Gruntham pondered upon the allurements
of the yashmak, which hid all but the eyes of the few Eastern women who
glanced timidly in passing at the occupants of the motor-cars.

"Now then, dearies," smiled the irate old knight's comfortable wife,
"don't you take on so, though I do allow it's a nuisance, considering I
have to get into my apricot satin to-night, with all those hooks. Pity
Sir John Wetherbourne ain't--isn't here, it u'd never have happened I'm
sure if he had been, seeing the way he has with him, though I can't say
as 'ow I approve of him so young and good-looking--and all these
Eastern hussies around--wandering about so much by himself. I do
wonder what 'appened--all right, lad, there's many a slip between the
aitch and the noovoh rich lip, _h'appened_ to the girl he's looking
for. Over a year ago you say, Mary, my dear, since she disappeared at
Ishmael, and not heard of since, and Sir John scouring Egypt with all