It was not Victoria they hoped to find there,
however, or Saidee her sister, but only a hint as to their next move.
Nevertheless, Nevill was superstitious about the birds, and said to
Stephen when the car had run them out of Algiers, past Maison Carre,
into open country: "Isn't it queer how the birds follow us? I never saw
so many before. They're always with us. It's just as if they'd passed on
word, the way chupatties are passed on in India, eh? Or maybe Josette
has told her protegees to look after us."
And Stephen smiled, for Nevill's superstitions were engaging, rather
than repulsive; and his quaintnesses were endearing him more and more to
the man who had just taken up the dropped thread of friendship after
eight or nine years. What an odd fellow Nevill was! Stephen thought,
indulgently. No wonder he was worshipped by his servants, and even his
chauffeur. No wonder Lady MacGregor adored her nephew, though treating
him as if he were a little boy!
One of Nevill's idiosyncrasies, after arranging everything to fit a
certain plan, was to rush off at the last minute and do something
entirely different. Last night--the night before starting for Grand
Kabylia--he had begged Stephen to be ready by eight, at which time the
car was ordered. At nine--having sat up till three o'clock writing
letters, and then having visited a lately imported gazelle in its
quarters--Nevill was still in his bath. At length he arrived on the
scene, beaming, with a sulky chameleon in his pocket, and flew about
giving last directions, until he suddenly discovered that there was a
violent hurry, whereupon he began to be boyishly peevish with the
chauffeur for not getting off an hour ago.
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