His eyes were on the house
by the shore, now disappearing, as they rounded a point of land.

"Ah" said Donovan Pasha, but he did not sigh.

III

"Ah!" said a lady, in a dirty pink house at Assiout, with an accent
which betrayed a discovery and a resolution, "I will do it. I may be of
use some way or another. The Khedive won't dare--but still the times
are desperate. As Donovan Pasha said, it isn't easy holding down the
safety-valve all the time, and when it flies off, there will be dark
days for all of us.... An old friend--bad as he is! Yes, I will go."

Within forty-eight hours of Donovan Pasha's and Kingsley Bey's arrival
in Cairo the lady appeared there, and made inquiries of her friends. No
one knew anything. She went to the Consulate, and was told that Kingsley
Bey was still in prison, that the Consulate had not yet taken action.

She went to Donovan Pasha, and he appeared far more mysterious and
troubled than he really was. Kingsley Bey was as cheerful as might be
expected, he said, but the matter was grave. He was charged with the
destruction of the desert-city, and maintaining an army of slaves in the
Khedive's dominions--a menace to the country.

"But it was with the Khedive's connivance," she said. "Who can prove
that? It's a difficult matter for England to handle, as you can see."

This was very wily of Dicky Donovan, for he was endeavouring to create
alarm and sympathy in the woman's mind by exaggerating the charge.
He knew that in a few days at most Kingsley Bey would be free. He had
himself given Ismail a fright, and had even gone so far as to suggest
inside knowledge of the plans of Europe concerning Egypt. But if he
could deepen the roots of this comedy for Kingsley's benefit--and for
the lady's--it was his duty so to do.

"Of course," he made haste to add, "you cannot be expected to feel
sympathy for him. In your eyes, he is a criminal. He had a long innings,
and made a mint of money. We must do all we can, and, of course, we'll
save his life--ah, I'm sure you wouldn't exact the fullest penalty on
him!"

Dicky was more than wily; he was something wicked. The suggestion of
danger to Kingsley's life had made her wince, and he had added another
little barbed arrow to keep the first company. The cause was a good one.
Hurt now to heal afterwards--and Kingsley was an old friend, and a good
fellow. Anyhow, this work was wasting her life, and she would be much
better back in England, living a civil