l find a man; and, if not, I myself
will do the cooking."

"But canst thou?"

"By Allah, I am a known professor of the art." And again when Elias
spoke of other services certain to be required upon the journey,
Iskender undertook, in default of trained servants, himself to make the
bed and wait upon the Frank at table.

The Emir was greatly pleased by this alacrity of the absorbed artist;
seeing which, Elias cried:

"No, no, by God, you can't do all the work, I help you, 'Skender. Let
me wait at table."

Iskender saw Elias waiting on their lord alone, breathing his pleasure
in the great man's ear! Yet he assented gratefully. Elias was not to
go with them at all, he had firmly resolved; but there was no need to
tell him so just now, in this time of preparation when his experience
was sure to be useful. In Iskender's mind the Valley of the Kings was
little more than a romantic pretext for a ride alone with his Emir.
But Elias thought of nothing but the gold. His eyes seemed to have
grown larger in these days, and were fixed wide open to contain the
vision. He treated Iskender with a kind of worship as the repository
of that precious secret, showed great care for his health, and was in
all things his loyal helper. But the young man did not trust him. He
kept the details of the expedition to himself as organiser; and, though
Elias pestered him with questions concerning the whereabouts of that
desirable valley, he would reveal nothing. By dint of thus withholding
information, he himself acquired the firm conviction that there was
really information to withhold.

It was not till more than a week after the coming of the famous
paint-box that Iskender found time to go again to the house of Mitri.
Repairing thither in the glow of a fine evening, following a rainy day,
he was surprised, as he drew near the place, to see his mother talking
with Mitri in the doorway. She was wrapped from head to foot in a
great shawl, and seemed in some trepidation, casting frequent glances
up and down the road. In so doing she caught sight of Iskender, and
raised hands to heaven. She ran to meet him.

"What is this?" she cried. "Day after day have I been here to seek
thee, because the whole world says that thou hast joined the Orthodox,
and my heart yearned towards thee; but I dared not go openly to the
hotel where thou art known to lodge, having sworn to the missionaries
that I would never see thee more. Here, too, I am in