The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-03-05


drive home. She usually stayed late, and
on receiving her gift Idris made his
salaams, and trotted of at a wonderful
pace to his hut in the Fagalla. This pro-
gramme had been punctually carried out
Tor more than month. No word had
ever passed between the four actors in
the odd drama, but they seemed obliged
to go through the performance as if under
a spell. They drove to the same place;
they looked at each other for the same
time with the same expression; but none
of them save the dwarf, who earned four
piastres a week, was the better for the
performance.
Thus time passed until the end of jan
uary, when Brereton received letter
from England. 1t announced that Miss
Cathcarps father had heard that his
brother, the Straits Settlements official,
had resolved to stay in Cairo for three
months, and so they were all coming out.
They asked Brereton to take rooms for
| them at Shepherds, and gave the date of
their arrival. Some engagements and a
slight attack of fever kept Bevil from
going to the Shubra between the time of
the arrival of the latter and the appear
ance of the Cathcarts. Vera had inn
proved since he had seen her. She was
just at the age when time seems busiest
in enhancing a girls attractions. The
sea voyage and the frank enjoyment of
| new scenes and experiences had given
Vlvaclty TO her eyes and a rose flush to
her cheek-the outward signs of that
sense of interest and happiness in life
that glorifies beauty of color and feature
with that magical gift of the fairness
we call by the name of charm. Bevil
and Vera had been neighbors in
England, and had enough home subjects
in common to give them comparisons,
illusions, and "reminiscences wherewithal
to enhance the pleasure of foreign sight
seeing. When people can say often: us
not that like so-and-so?" and "Does not
that remind you of such and such
| placer" they have links which make them
enjoy each others society. So it hap
pened that for q short time the Eastern
wife was forgotten and the Western maid
reigned in her stead. But Friday came,
and the Rotten Row of Cairo had to be
shown to the newcomers. With an odd
| feeling of uneasiness Devil took his seat
| in the carriage with Vera and her mo-
Their. lie pointed out the scenes and
figures they passed; he was amusing
on the gaudy dresses of the Levan-
! tine ladies, and the airs of the young
natives who We're just then begin
ming to coat themselves with French
varnish; but he was looking all the time
| eagerly for the brougham. 1t was not
| there. They came to the sycamore he
knew so well. There was neither carri-
age nor eunuch, but there was Idris, the
| dwarf
"What quaint creaturei He would
| do for the Hunchback in the Arabian
| Nights or Nectabanus in The Tails
man. Thirty years ago English ladies
| knew Scott.
| The dwarf seeing the party were new
corners began his usual performance, a
song and dance, ending by balancing his
staff on his chin. During these antics he
managed to come close to Devil and
| thrust letter into his hand. This done
he stopped quickly, and held his open
| palm for 6GhSheeSh. Directly he had re-
ccelved his piastres he disappeared, and as
| 1t was near shutdown the party drove
quickly homeward. Directly he was in
his room Bevil locked the door and took
out the note. 1t was in French, and con-
tanned only these words: You can save
me from prison, and perhaps death, if
you come to the garden pf the Gem Pal
ace tomorrow at 10 O'clock
The handwriting was disguised, and
one word was misspeit, but Bevil never
! questioned the fact that it came from
the yelled lady. He read it and reread
it, utterly puzzled and weaving a dozen
! theories and rOmanceS. A servant reused
him knocking at his door and telling him
| the gong had sounded ten minutes ago.
| He dressed and went to dinner with
rather inconsistent explanations OF his
| dilatorineSs.
! Once with Vera Cathcart, however, the
message was forgotten. He had been
| growing more and more attached 10 her
| during the recent days, and she had never
looked more beautiful then ON that even
ing. Brereton was coming to himself
The fancy that mystery and romance had
! woven had been torn to pieces and had
vanished TO the limbo of vanities When
he said good night that evening he felt
that he loved Vera as he had never loved
hnf afn1 hot !,
wife the next day. In a mood compact of
| hope and distrust he strolled out on the
| terrace and flung himself on a long chair.
| The moonlight was raining a shower of
| silver radiance over everything. The
! terrace and the knotted sycamores which
arose IN groups IN the open space that
| then stretched in front of the hotel to the
| Ezbelkieh the high white houses in the
! distance, the minaret 7circled with a coro-
| net of light in honor of some festival-all
| blended to form a picture of repose which
| lulled the lover into a reverie. He was
reused by the voices of two men who had
| taken their seats at table close by. They
spoke French, and had talked some time
! before he heard them at all. Then he only
| had vague impression that their words
| Jared on the subject of his thoughts.
After time he disentangled them from
his own fancies, and found how they re-
! called that which he had been pleased to
49,
| ing to their speech he naturally looked
round to see what manner of men they
were.
They were mustached, swarthy persons
IN Stambouli coats and fezzes, men cut to
the Egyptian official pattern and in no
wise remarkable.
II tell you," said one, "Efendina
knows all. he is unwilling, while the
| Delegate IngleeZe is here, to make public
scandal; but she has gone too far"
(which MEANS" said the other, that
a certain friend OF ours has set his heart
on the Gem Palace. The scandals have
been told by him and have lost nothing
in the telling. The Pasha has determined
that she shall drink a cup of coffee, and
that he shall have three palaces instead
of two. But let him take care; if she
suspects him she will bring him down
| with herl"
Impossible! What can she do? She
is closely watched. The dwarf, Idris,
whom she employs, is in the Pasha's
pay"
'And in everybody's else. 1 have
known her for twenty years. She has
| never failed in any of her plans. There
| was Hassan Makmud Pasha, who would
| not sell her the estate at Tanka He died
| suddenly. There was the Greek Consul
| whose wife said she was looking old He
was recalled. There was Haig Agopian
the sharpest Armenian in Egypt He re-
| fused to lend her the usual 80 900 on her
diamonds after they had gone to Yusef
| Ben Issacha, the Jew, to be reset. The
bank had run on it and was ruined in
six months. Ali those who have thwarted
her have been disgraced or have died.
The last story is that she has declared it
to be her ambition to have an English
man at her feet
/ fHThaf would not ba III ffior11t 7 cbO