ents he stood
staring without the slightest sign of recognition in his countenance,
while the youth resembled an ebony carving more than a living being.

"Hah!" said the Sheikh at last. "It is very good, Excellency, very
good. It would deceive me. I should not have known. But the dark
stain? Will it come off?"

Frank shook his head.

"Not if you used water?"

There was another shake of the head.

"It is good--more than good," said the Sheikh. "I have come over to
walk with the Hakim to see his sick people. Is he ready to go?"

Frank shook his head, and raising a hand slowly pointed to his mouth.

"Ah, I forgot that," said the old man, smiling gravely. "It is very
good indeed; but can you keep this painful silence?"

Frank bowed his head slowly, and pointed to the divan for the Sheikh to
take his seat, the young man preserving his erect position of respect
the while.

"It is soon to begin, Excellency," said the Sheikh smiling, "but you
must be Excellency no more till our work is done; only in my heart.
What name will you bear?"

"Frank!" cried the doctor from the inner tent, and the Sheikh smiled,
but the young man shook his head violently. "Tell the Sheikh I shall be
with him in a minute."

"I am waiting patiently, Excellency," said the old man aloud. Then
turning to Frank, "Suppose we say Ben Eddin?"

Frank nodded and smiled.

"Let it be so, then, Ben Eddin, my son, slave to the learned Hakim, with
whom you have been so long that you understand his Frankish tongue. I
have lain awake thinking many hours about the Hakim's other slave, and I
feel that it would be wise that he should be his Frankish slave. There
will be no mistake then. He can wear our burnoose and haik; they will
be enough. It is quite right that he should have brought a servant from
his own country. What say you, Ben Eddin?"

Frank bowed his head gravely at once, and the Sheikh smiled his
satisfaction, before springing up quickly, and forgetting his grave
manner he clapped his hands together, applauding, and then bowing low to
the grave and reverend Hakim who entered the tent slowly in flowing
white garments and voluminous turban, in front of which was fastened a
large, dark green scarab, a genuine treasure found by the professor in
the tomb of a man who was supposed to have been physician to one of the
Egyptian kings. It had been intended to form a brooch, and the doctor
had had it set in gold. This he had taken from a