s of an Arab lady, veiled from eyes which might spy upon thee; and
so thou wilt be safe under the protection of my cousin."

"My thanks to thee and to her--I will go," Victoria said, after a
moment's pause.

She was sure that Stephen Knight and his friend would prevent her from
leaving Algiers with strangers, above all, in the company of Arabs, if
they could know what was in her mind. But they were unjustly prejudiced,
she thought. Her brother-in-law was of Arab blood, therefore she could
not afford to have such prejudices, even if she were so inclined; and
she must not hesitate before such a chance as Si Maieddine offered.

The great difficulty she had experienced in learning anything about Ben
Halim made it easy for her to believe that she could reach her sister's
husband only through people of his own race, who knew his secrets. She
was ready to agree with Si Maieddine that his God and her God had sent
him at the right moment, and she would not let that moment pass her by.

Others might say that she was wildly imprudent, that she was
deliberately walking into danger; but she was not afraid. Always she
trusted to her star, and now it had brought her to Algiers, she would
not weaken in that trust. Common sense, in which one side of the girl's
nature was not lacking, told her that this Arab might be deceiving her,
that he might know no more of Ben Halim than she herself had told him
yesterday; but she felt that he had spoken the truth, and feelings were
more to her than common sense. She would go to the house which Si
Maieddine said was the house of his cousin, and if there she found
reason to doubt him, she had faith that even then no evil would be
allowed to touch her.

At seven o'clock, Si Maieddine said, Lella M'Barka would send a
carriage. It would then be twilight, and as most people were in their
homes by that hour, nobody would be likely to see her leave the hotel.
The shutters of the carriage would be closed, according to the custom of
Arab ladies, and on entering the vehicle Victoria would find a negress,
a servant of Lella M'Barka Bent Djellab. This woman would dress her in a
gandourah and a haick, while they were on their way to the house of
Victoria's hostess, and on stepping out she would have the appearance of
a lady of Algiers. Thus all trace of her would be lost, as one Arab
carriage was exactly like another.

Meanwhile, there would be time to pack, and write a letter which
Victoria was determined