bic to the astounded and fluttering
Englishman--drove to the Savoy, where I guessed you'd be--found you'd
moved here--came here--and being mistaken for what I am by marriage,
namely, a high-born lady of the land, was conducted straightway to you
in spite of the invalid--_et voila_!"

Mary got up, and crossing to Jill sat down beside her on the couch.

"And what now, Jill? Hahmed will come and fetch you."

"Not Hahmed," said Jill, with a shadow in her eyes as she remembered
his parting words after what she had tersely called the flare-up.
"Besides, he trusts me _really_!" she added as an afterthought, and
continued with a note of feverish excitement in her voice: "So I I'm
going to stay with you, Mary, if you'll let me, until something or
another happens to help me make up my mind. I want to do a lot of
sight-seeing, and wear white skirts and a silk jersey and blouse. I'll
find a maid somewhere, I expect."

"Oh!" broke in practical Mary, "don't worry about that--servants are
such a nuisance. Do you remember Higgins? Well! she came out with me,
and gave me notice the second week--'couldn't abide the 'eathen
ways'--and wanted to get back to her home in Vauxhall. But the
proprietor found me a native woman, a perfect treasure, whose one
complaint is that she hasn't enough work to do!"

Silence fell for a time whilst Mary studied the face of her friend,
suddenly leaning forward to stroke the pale cheek and pat the little
hand.

"You don't look well, Jillikins! Are you sure you are happy?"

"Perfectly," said Jill, turning her face to the cushions and bursting
into uncontrollable weeping.

[1]A custom.

CHAPTER XLVI

With short steps the native woman shuffled quickly along the outside of
the wall surrounding the house of Hahmed the Arab, stopping in front of
the great gates, which were closed at sunset, to peer between the
wrought bronze work, standing her ground unconcernedly when a Nubian of
gigantic proportions suddenly appeared on the other side.

Terrifying he looked as he towered in the dusk, his huge eyes rolling,
and his hand on the hilt of a scimitar, which looked as though it had
been tempered more for use than for ornament.

"What wouldst thou?" he demanded in dog Arabic of the woman whose eyes
flashed disdainfully over the veil which hid her pock-marked face.

"Speech with they master, who has bidden me to his presence, and move
quickly, thou black dog of ill repute; tarry not in sayin