Evening star., 1919-11-09
TALES OF SECRET EGYPT BY
ME interior OF the room was
very dark. but with the aid OF
the electric torch which ] car
ried was enabled to form a


ried was enabled to form
xAirly good impression Of its general
character and. having now surveyed
the entire house, 1 had concluded that
It might possibly serve my purpose.
The real ownership Of many native
houses in Cairo is difficult to estab-
1ish, and the unveracious Egyptian
from whom I had procured the keys
may or may not have been entitled to
let the premises. However, he had
the keys, and that in the near east Is
, sufhcient evidence OF ownership.
Ny viewing the place at night was
I did not propose unduly to impress
my personality upon the Inhabitants
of the Darb el-Ahmar.
Curiosity respecting the outlook at
the rear now led me to enter the deep
recess at ono end of the room,
which boasted an imperfect but not
unpicturesque mushrabiyeh window.
Moonlight sianted down into the mar
row lane which the window overhung,
and cast quaint fretwork shadow
upon the dusty floor at my feet. Idly
i
tices and peered down into the shad-
owy gully beneath. The lane was
silent and empty, and I next directed
my attention to similar window
which protruded from the adjoining
house.
A panel corresponding to mine
stood open also in the neighboring
window. and by means Of soft light
in the room I detected the head and
shoulders of a woman who, her arm
resting upon the ledge, surveyed the
vacant night.
Her eyes. as is usual with Egyptian
women. were large and fine. and, as is
usual with all women, she was aware
of the fact, casting glances upward
and to the right and left calculated
j.. to exhibit their beauty.
The coquetry of her movements
was unmistakable; and when, lifting
a pretty arm, she brushed aside lock
of hair which overhung her brow
ana uttered tremulous sigh I per-
ceived that had found favor in her
sight.
And indeed the graceful gesture
nav AASAihSo my hC0Ak wv" "a AASA
Tor it had served to reveal not only
the symmetry Of her shape, but the
presence upon her arm, Immediately
above the elbow, of a magnificent
bangle In gold and lapis-lazuH. which,
II might trust my judgment, was
fashioned no later than the nineteenth
dynasty! Clearly the house next
door, with it's occupant, were the
property of some man of wealth and
taste.
Across the intervening patch of
darkness our glances met; the girls
dark lashes were lowered demurely.
then raised again, and the boldness
OF my unfaltering gaze was rewarded
by a smile. Thus encouraged:
20 daughter of the moon," whis-
pered fancifully in Arabic, "conde-
scend to speak to one whom the sight
of thy beauty hath enslaved."
Il fear to be discovered, Inglisi."
came the soft reply; "or willingly
would I converse with thee, for /
am lonely and wretched."
She sighed again and directed upon
me glance that was less wretched
than roguish. Evidently the adven-
ture was much to her liking.
Let me solace your loneliness" I
replied; "for assuredly we can con-
ceive some plan Of meeting"
She lowered her eyes at that, and
seemed to hesitate: then:
"In the roof Of your house." she
whispered, often glancing over her
shoulder into the room beyond, 'is
trap-which is bolted-"
Footsteps sounded in the lane be-
neath-whereat the vision at the
window vanished and the lattice was
closed. but not before the girl had
intimated by q gesture that I was
to remain.
For fully half an hour 1 waited,
and was preparing to depart when a
part of the shadows everything the
projecting window seemed to grow
blacker. and I realized with JOY that
at last the lattice was reopening, but
that the room within was now in
darkness. Whilst / watched, remain
ing scrupulously invisible. q small
parcel deftly thrown dropped upon
the door At my feet-and my neigh.
bor's window was reclosed.
Closing my own. picked up the
parcel It proved to be a small ivory