He would have to trust Elaid's discretion and tact, as he knew
already he might trust his loyalty. Only--the situation was desperate.
Tact, and an instinct for the right word, the frank look, were worth
even more than loyalty at this moment. And one never quite knew how far
to trust another man's judgment. Besides, the mischief might have been
done before Ben Sliman could arrive on the scene; and at the thought of
what might happen, Maieddine's heart seemed to turn in his breast. He
had never known a sensation so painful to body and mind, and it was
hideous to feel helpless, to know that he could do only harm, and not
good, by riding up the hill. Nevertheless, he said to himself, if he
should see Victoria come out to speak with these men, he would go. He
would perhaps kill them, and the chauffeur too. Anything rather than
give up the girl now; for the sharp stab of the thought that he might
lose her, that Stephen Knight might have her, made him ten times more in
love than he had been before. He wished that Allah might strike the men
in the yellow car dead; although, ardent Mussulman as he was, he had no
hope that such a glorious miracle would happen.
"It is those men from Algiers of whom I told thee," he said to the Caid.
"I must stop below. They must not recognize me, or the dark one who was
on the ship, will guess. Possibly he suspects already that I stand for
something in this affair."
"Who can have sent them to my house?" Ben Sliman wondered.
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