e last vestige of his expiring common
sense was prompting him.

And after all these creditable and excellent exhortations, to the
utter extinction of the last vestige of that common sense he heard
himself saying abruptly, "But isn't there anything in the world that
I can do--?"

"Nothing, monsieur."

"But for you to submit--like this--"

"It is not to be helped."

"But it _is_ to be helped--if you really dislike it," he added
jealously.

"I cannot help it, because--because my father--" She hesitated. The
honor of her father and her family pride and affection were all
involved, yet suddenly the sacrifice of these became more tolerable
than to consent to that image of herself which she saw swiftly
defining itself in his mind, that slight, weak creature, whose
acquiescent passivity submitted to this marriage.

The thought was unbearable. She was burning beneath her veil. She
would tell him.... And perhaps she was not averse, in her childish
pride, to the pitiful glory of having him see her in the beauty of
her filial sacrifice.

"My father has--has done something against the English laws," she
faltered, "and Hamdi Bey, this general, knows of it, and will inform
unless--unless my father makes this marriage. A cousin of his has
seen me," she added, her young vanity forlornly rearing its head,
"and told Hamdi that I am not--not too ill-looking a girl--"

Her essay of a laugh died.

Ryder's look deepened its sharp, defensive concentration.

"This is true--I mean your father is not just putting something
over--telling you to get your consent?"

Her thoughts flew back to her father's haggard face. "Oh, it is
true! I know."

"And he's going to hand you over--What sort is this Hamdi?"

"A general. Old. Evil enough to lay traps to obtain me."

"It's abomination." The anger in the young man surged beyond his
control. "You must not do it.... If your father is clever enough to
break a law let him be clever enough to mend it--by himself. Such a
sacrifice is not required.... You must realize what this means to
you. You must realize--Look here, I'll help you. I'll plan some
escape. There must be ways. I have friends--"

She stifled the leap of her heart. She held her head high and made
what she thought was a very noble little speech. "It is for my
father, monsieur. You do not understand. It is to save my father."

He looked at her in silence. He was afraid to answer for a moment;
he could feel the unruly blood bea