One looked twice at him in his
uniform when he went by on a splendid horse. I believe he had been to
Paris before the scandal. What he did afterwards no one can say. But I
could not tell Mees Ray what I had heard of that scandal any more than I
would tell a young girl that almost all Europeans who become harem women
are converted to the religion of Islam, and that very likely the sister
wasn't Ben Halim's first wife."
"Can you tell us of the scandal, or--would you rather not talk of the
subject?" Stephen hesitated.
"Oh, I can tell you, for it would not hurt your feelings. People said
Ben Halim flirted too much with his Colonel's beautiful French wife, who
died soon afterwards, and her husband killed himself. Ben Halim had not
been considered a good officer before. He was too fond of pleasure, and
a mad gambler; so at last it was made known to him he had better leave
the army of his own accord if he did not wish to go against his will; at
least, that was the story."
"Of course!" exclaimed Nevill. "It comes back to me now, though it all
happened before I lived in Algiers. Ben Halim sold his house and
everything in it to a Frenchman who went bankrupt soon after. It's
passed through several hands since. I go occasionally to call on Mrs.
Jewett and her daughter."
"It is said they wish you would call oftener, Monsieur Caird."
Nevill turned red. Stephen thought he could understand, and hid a smile.
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