t seemed but a
second ere it passed into the Mission, and was lost to sight. Iskender
fell face downwards, making some idle play with the sand for his
mother's benefit, the while his heart went out in prayer to Allah. It
seemed an age ere the Emir came forth. From where he lay Iskender
could not distinguish so much as the colour of his clothes, yet he
fancied he could see his heart was sad or angry. Having watched him
out of sight, he sprang up suddenly and strode off towards the Mission
in the hope of news. As luck would have it he met Asad son of
Costantin.

"I was on my way to tell thee." That youth of promise grinned from ear
to ear at the sudden encounter. He had to apply his mind for a minute
to a stick of sugar-cane he was sucking before he could compose a
countenance suitable to the bearer of ill tidings. "The Father of
Ice--curse his father!--has done what I told thee he would do, has
ruined thee with thy Emir. He made thee out the lowest of the low, and
told his Honour of thy boast that thou wouldst use his money as thy
own, even to the extent of making him pay for thy education as a
painter in the English schools. He told him it was wrong for him to
ride on horseback beside one like thee--for whom to ride an ass were
signal honour. Ah, I assure thee by Allah he has done it thoroughly.
I have the story from the maid who carried tea to them. She listened
by the door at my request, because I knew how nearly it concerned thee."

By way of consolation Asad offered to his friend a length of sugar-cane
he had himself sucked three parts dry. It was accepted blindly.
Iskender knew not what he did or said. He wandered by the sea till it
was dark, and then went home and passed a sleepless night in dreams of
wealth, by which alone it seemed his love could be cleansed from all
appearance of self-interest. Before his mother awoke in the morning he
slipped out, and walked into the town, where he loitered down by the
quay, kicking his heels, until it was time to present himself at the
hotel and learn his fate.

"The khawajah has announced his will to ride alone to-day, and for an
hour only," said Selim the son of Musa, who stood sunning himself in
the doorway.

The words struck like bullets on Iskender's heart, they so cruelly
confirmed the tale of Asad son of Costantin.

Elias arrived, and asked him how he did. Iskender made known his
tidings in a voice half-choked by grief.

"Was any word said again