He and the Caid were a long way off when he caught sight of the car, and
heard its pantings, carried by the clear desert air. He could not be
certain of its identity, but he prided himself upon his keen sight and
hearing, and where they failed, instinct stepped in. He was sure that it
was the car which had waited for Stephen Knight when the _Charles Quex_
came in, the car of Nevill Caird, about whom he had made inquiries
before leaving Algiers. Maieddine knew, of course, that Victoria had
been to the Djenan el Djouad, and he was intensely suspicious as well as
jealous of Knight, because of the letter Victoria had written. He knew
also that the two Englishmen had been asking questions at the Hotel de
la Kasbah; and he was not surprised to see the yellow car in front of
the Caid's gates. Now that he saw it, he felt dully that he had always
known it would follow him.
If only he had been in the house, it would not have mattered. He would
have been able to prevent Knight and Caird from seeing Victoria, or even
from having the slightest suspicion that she was, or had been, there. It
was the worst of luck that he should be outside the gates, for now he
could not go back while the Englishmen were there. Knight would
certainly recognize him, and guess everything that he did not know.
Maieddine thought very quickly. He dared not ride on, lest the men in
the car should have a field-glass. The only thing was to let Ben Sliman
go alone, so that, if eyes up there on the hill were watching, it might
seem that the Caid was parting from some friend who lived in the
village.
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