ively, and she turned in her
chair away from the moonlight towards the shadows of the room and
Durrance. She bent forward to see his face, but the darkness hid it. A
sudden fear struck through her and chilled her blood, but out of the
darkness Durrance spoke.

"That the two women and the old Greek had gone back northward on a
steamer to Assouan."

"Mr. Feversham remained at Wadi Halfa, then? That is so, isn't it?" she
said eagerly.

"No," Durrance replied. "Harry Feversham did not remain. He slipped past
Halfa the day after I started toward the east. He went out in the
morning, and to the south."

"Into the desert?"

"Yes, but the desert to the south, the enemy's country. He went just as
I saw him, carrying his zither. He was seen. There can be no doubt."

Ethne was quite silent for a little while. Then she asked:--

"You have that letter with you?"

"Yes."

"I should like to read it."

She rose from her chair and walked across to Durrance. He took the
letter from his pocket and gave it to her, and she carried it over to
the window. The moonlight was strong. Ethne stood close by the window,
with a hand pressed upon her heart, and read it through once and again.
The letter was explicit; the Greek who owned the cafe at which the
troupe had performed admitted that Joseppi, under which name he knew
Feversham, had wandered south, carrying a water-skin and a store of
dates, though why, he either did not know or would not tell. Ethne had a
question to ask, but it was some time before she could trust her lips to
utter it distinctly and without faltering.

"What will happen to him?"

"At the best, capture; at the worst, death. Death by starvation, or
thirst, or at the hands of the Dervishes. But there is just a hope it
might be only capture and imprisonment. You see he was white. If caught,
his captors might think him a spy; they would be sure he had knowledge
of our plans and our strength. I think that they would most likely send
him to Omdurman. I have written to Calder. Spies go out and in from Wadi
Halfa. We often hear of things which happen in Omdurman. If Feversham is
taken there, sooner or later I shall know. But he must have gone mad. It
is the only explanation."

Ethne had another, and she knew hers to be the right one. She was off
her guard, and she spoke it aloud to Durrance.

"Colonel Trench," said she, "is a prisoner at Omdurman."

"Oh, yes," answered Durrance. "Feversham will not be quite alone.