"They are going south-east," said Nevill.
XVII
If Victoria Ray had accepted Nevill Caird's invitation to be Lady
MacGregor's guest and his, at Djenan el Djouad, many things might have
been different. But she had wished to be independent, and had chosen to
go to the Hotel de la Kasbah.
When she went down to dinner in the _salle a manger_, shortly after
seven o'clock on the evening of her arrival, only two other tables were
occupied, for it was late in the season, and tourists were leaving
Algiers.
No one who had been on board the _Charles Quex_ was there, and Victoria
saw that she was the only woman in the room. At one table sat a happy
party of Germans, apparently dressed from head to foot by Dr. Jaeger,
and at another were two middle-aged men who had the appearance of
commercial travellers. By and by an elderly Jew came in, and dinner had
reached the stage of peppery mutton ragout, when the door opened again.
Victoria's place was almost opposite, and involuntarily, she glanced up.
The handsome Arab who had crossed from Marseilles on the boat saluted
her with grave courtesy as he met her look, and passed on, casting down
his eyes. He was shown to a table at some distance, the manner of the
Arab waiter who conducted him being so impressive, that Victoria was
sure the newcomer must be a person of importance.
He was beautifully dressed, as before, and the Germans stared at him
frankly, but he did not seem to be aware of their existence.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211