Everything being settled, and the watch-towers well supplied with food
for the rifles, Stephen went to call Saidee and Victoria, who were in
their almost dismantled room. The bedstead, washstand, chairs and table
had ceased to be furniture, and had become part of the barricade.
"Let me carry your things into the dining-room now," he said. "And your
bed covering. We can make up a sort of couch there, for you may as well
be comfortable if you can. And you know, it's on the cards that all our
fuss is in vain. Nothing whatever may happen."
They obeyed, without objection; but Saidee's look as she laid a pair of
Arab blankets over Stephen's arm, told how little rest she expected. She
gathered up a few things of her own, however, to take from the bedroom
to the dining-room, and as she walked ahead, Stephen asked Victoria if,
in the handbag she had brought from the Zaouia there was a mirror.
"Yes," she answered. "There's quite a good-sized one, which I used to
have on my dressing-table in the theatre. How far away that time seems
now!"
"Will you lend the mirror to me--or do you value it too much to risk
having it smashed?"
"Of course I'll lend it. But----" she looked up at him anxiously, in
the blue star-dusk. "What are you going to do?"
"Nothing particular, unless we've reason to believe that an attack will
be made; that is, if a lot of Arabs come near the bordj. In that case, I
want to try and get up into the tower, and do some signalling--for fear
the shot we heard hit your sister's messenger.
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