o Marzo, who grins and
touches his forehead).

KEARNEY (slightly overwhelmed by the unexpected profusion of incident
and character in her story). Well, what happened then?

LADY CICELY. Then the escort ran away--all escorts do--and dragged me
into the castle, which you really ought to make them clean and whitewash
thoroughly, Captain Kearney. Then Captain Brassbound and Sir Howard
turned out to be related to one another (sensation); and then of course,
there was a quarrel. The Hallams always quarrel.

SIR HOWARD (rising to protest). Cicely! Captain Kearney: this man told
me--

LADY CICELY (swiftly interrupting him). You mustn't say what people told
you: it's not evidence. (Sir Howard chokes with indignation.)

KEARNEY (calmly). Allow the lady to proceed, Sir Howard Hallam.

SIR HOWARD (recovering his self-control with a gulp, and resuming his
seat). I beg your pardon, Captain Kearney.

LADY CICELY. Then Sidi came.

KEARNEY. Sidney! Who was Sidney?

LADY CICELY. No, Sidi. The Sheikh. Sidi el Assif. A noble creature, with
such a fine face! He fell in love with me at first sight--

SIR HOWARD (remonstrating). Cicely!

LADY CICELY. He did: you know he did. You told me to tell the exact
truth.

KEARNEY. I can readily believe it, madam. Proceed.

LADY CICELY. Well, that put the poor fellow into a most cruel dilemma.
You see, he could claim to carry off Sir Howard, because Sir Howard is a
Christian. But as I am only a woman, he had no claim to me.

KEARNEY (somewhat sternly, suspecting Lady Cicely of aristocratic
atheism). But you are a Christian woman.

LADY CICELY. No: the Arabs don't count women. They don't believe we have
any souls.

RANKIN. That is true, Captain: the poor benighted creatures!

LADY CICELY. Well, what was he to do? He wasn't in love with Sir Howard;
and he WAS in love with me. So he naturally offered to swop Sir Howard
for me. Don't you think that was nice of him, Captain Kearney?

KEARNEY. I should have done the same myself, Lady Waynflete. Proceed.

LADY CICELY. Captain Brassbound, I must say, was nobleness itself, in
spite of the quarrel between himself and Sir Howard. He refused to give
up either of us, and was on the point of fighting for us when in came
the Cadi with your most amusing and delightful letter, captain, and
bundled us all back to Mogador after calling my poor Sidi the most
dreadful names, and putting all the blame on Captain Brassbound. So here
we are. Now, Howard