and looked into the white face,
speaking so that only she might hear.

"And the love bird shall fly down to thy couch this night, Delight of
my Heart, and the shadows upon thy sweet face shall deepen ere the
dawn," and he kissed the closed eyes and the red mouth and the white
throat and the shadow of a collar-bone which showed above the roundness
of her breasts, and then he laid her upon the cushions on the ground,
and, clapping his hands, gave her into the care of her handmaidens.

[1]Evil Spirit.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

An hour and more had passed before Jack Wetherbourne suddenly awoke,
and stretching his arms above his head apostrophised the full moon
shining down upon the Great Pyramid in the shadows of which he was
sitting.

"What the dickens Lady Moon brought me to this place of all places
to-night," he said lazily, as he struck a match and lit a cigarette.
"Let's hope my ship of the desert hasn't upstreamed for Cairo all on
her own, else I see myself here until the advent of the next Cook's
party. Decent of the camel wallah to let me take the apple of his
commercial eye into the desert unaccompanied." He stretched and
settled himself more comfortably, continuing to talk aloud. "What a
night--what a country--wish I'd brought Mary with me--ideal spot for a
heart-to-heart talk. I might have shaken her out of her 'eyedyfix,' as
old Gruntham calls it. Silly idea that she won't get married until
Jill has been found--why! what! who in heaven's name are coming down
the pyramid? Well, I'm blessed! two native wallahs been breaking the
rules, and I had no idea they were perched up there above my head."

Safe in the protecting shadows he watched Hahmed and Jill descend.

Little ripples of laughter fell on the night air as Hahmed, letting
himself down easily from one gigantic block to another, held out his
arms and lifted Jill down, bending his head to kiss her each time he
put her on her feet.

They were at the last step but one when, with a little scream, she
swayed, and nearly fell to the step beneath.

"Hold me, Hahmed," she cried, "I'm dizzy, everything is going round!"

And Hahmed caught her and lifted her gently down the last steps to the
sand, bending to kiss her on the mouth, and shifting her suddenly to
his left arm so as to catch Jack Wetherbourne by the throat as he
dashed shouting from the shadows upon them.

"Jill! Jill! It's I--Jack! don't let-----"

Until the grip tightening choked b