ch were related to him each season about the English and
American women who came to Egypt for the sake of the climate and for
its hotel-society--ugly stories, generally greatly exaggerated, but
often with a foundation of unsavoury truth in them. The sands of Egypt
breed scandals as quickly as the climate degenerates the morals of
shallow-minded tourists. But this woman Freddy knew to be as dangerous
as she was charming; and he also knew the enthusiastic nature of
Michael and how it was temperamental with him to place all women on
pedestals and worship them as pure, high beings, far above mere men.
Fallen idols never shattered his belief; they were simply forgotten.

Since Michael had met the beautiful Mrs. Mervill, Freddy had noticed
that he had fits of abstraction, and that instead of working overtime,
as was his habit, he was now as prompt as the _fellahin_ to "down
tools" at the precise moment.

Freddy "had no use" for the woman. His practical mind had summed her
up at a glance. But he was afraid that his friend might drift into a
very undesirable friendship with her. She would enjoy his simplicity,
for he seemed to have been born without guile, while his intellectual
fascination was not to be denied. Michael was generous, impetuous and
reckless.

"I'm not going to disturb you," Freddy said. "We'll meet at lunch."

"Right-ho!" Michael said. "I've almost finished."

"Looks as if you'd blown the thing on to the paper this time," Freddy
said. "Gad, it's topping!"

Michael said nothing, but he glowed inwardly. A word of enthusiastic
praise from Freddy was worth all his morning's toil in the breathless,
stuffy tomb-chamber of the Pharaoh whose embalmed remains it contained.

Freddy returned to his hut and flung himself down in a cane
lounge-chair in as cool a spot as he could find. He picked up a French
novel and lit a cigarette.

Lying there, in his white flannels, reading _Marie Claire_, who would
have thought that he was one of the most able Egyptologists of the day,
of the younger school, or that he controlled so important a section of
the English School of Archaeology in Egypt?

Meanwhile the simple meal was being laid with a neatness and convention
which was a striking contrast to the wooden hut and scarcity of
furniture in the room. The Arab who was setting the table was a
perfect parlourmaid, a product of Freddy's teaching. The only thing
Freddy was proud of was his ability to train and make