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Show husband. "W:'~e seen ~hek ~-~ Queen and the ~oorish Bath- atr~; · ~ least you've seen 1t-and t~e Gov-1, ~~":.::"",J<.""~.''-!v-~. 's Palace and Cap Matlfou and ~-, ernor , ~ .... all the rest of it. So let's get on tow- ·'--··~··ards the desert." Sir Claude looked unusually grim and mulish. "I didn't know we were going to the desert," he said. "\Vby, of course. What did we come for?" "To see Algiers, I thought." "Nonsense! Algiers is as French as the Rue de la Paix. I want to know all about camels and sand-dunes and Ouled-what are they? Get two berths in the sleeping- car for ElAkbara; there's a dear. It's at the gate of the desert, you know. We'll stay the night and then trot on to Beni-Mora." Then, as he still looked mulish, she added, mischievously: "Or I shall think you're silly enough to believe in Melie Etoile's prophecy." "Rot!" said Sir Claude. "A fellow like a white-" "Very well, then, get the tickets!" He went at once to Cook's and got the tickets, but he looked very grave, almost distressed, as he returned to the hotel. And all that evening he scarcely took his eyes from his wife's pretty, rather dolllike, face. "I believe you do believe!" she said to him, as they were going up to bed. "'Danger d'une grande perte' \ -that was what he wrote-' la plus grande perte possible.' What would be the greatest loss possible to you?" "You ought to know," he replied, ~ almost harshly. ~~ And he caught her little hand and wrung it. "Oh, Crumpet, my rings!" she ·~cried. |