s worst period to the things of the finest period in Cairo. If
you saw some of the native houses, furnished from the European store in
the Ezbekiyeh, you would think Queen Victoria's private apartments at
Osborne beautiful," Hadassah's voice expressed her meaning.

"Good-bye," Margaret said laughingly. "It is hard to believe that, but
I take your word for it."

As Margaret walked through the outer courtyard, she kept saying to
herself, "So that is the Syrian's daughter, the girl whom the English
people rejected and would have none of!"

Freddy had often corrected his sister for her careless use of the word
"beautiful." He maintained that few people had ever seen a really
beautiful human being. The Greeks idealized their models in their
types of Venus and Apollo. Margaret felt that at last she could
truthfully tell him that she had seen a beautiful woman, and that that
woman was a Syrian, Michael Ireton's "wife out of Egypt."

CHAPTER XIV

When Margaret reached her hotel she was more than astonished to hear
that in her absence her brother had called to see her. He had left a
message to say that he would return in half an hour.

"How long ago was that?" Margaret asked.

The very grand servant, in his elaborately-embroidered and gold laced
native dress, said, "About twenty minutes ago, my lady. The gentleman
said that it was important that he should see you."

"I will wait for him on the terrace," Margaret said. "Bring him to me
directly he arrives."

She was so taken back by this inexplicable piece of news that she heard
nothing more of what the man said. Why on earth had Freddy come to
Cairo? Margaret knew that he had business which was to have kept him
four more days at least in Luxor. Her first thought was that he had
heard something about Michael, but she doubted if even that would have
made him neglectful of his duty. With Freddy his work and the
responsibility it entailed came before every other consideration.
Margaret had ever been mindful of the fact that her presence in the
camp was not to interfere with his work. She knew him so well, or she
fancied that she did. His coming must be in some way connected with
his work. Perhaps he wished to stop her carrying out the instructions
which he had given her; he might have learned something in Luxor which
had upset his plans.

A few minutes before the half-hour was up, Margaret saw her brother
walking quickly towards the hotel. The momen