“I would not like to say,” he said insultingly; “perchance I should wound your tender feelings too deeply.”

“Mr. Kaffar will remember he’s speaking to a lady, I’m sure,” said Tom Temple.

“Pardon me,” said Kaffar, excitedly; “I forgot I was in England, where men are the slaves of the ladies.  With us it is different.  We speak and they obey.  I forgot I was not in Egypt.  I have done very wrong.  I implore the lady’s pardon.”

“I see no meaning in your words,” said Miss Forrest, quietly, “therefore I see nothing to forgive.”

“Ah, I live again.  A heavy load is gone from my heart!  I have not merited the lady’s displeasure.”

“Still I think it right, if you have grounds for suspecting any one, that we should know,” said a voice; “otherwise some one may be wrongly accused.”

“Do not ask me,” said Kaffar.  “Ask Mr. Blake.”

Instantly all eyes were turned on me, and, do as I might, I could not help an uncomfortable flush rising in my face.  “I do not know what Mr. Kaffar means,” I replied.  “I am as ignorant as to the origin of the ghost as he is, perhaps more so.”

Instantly Kaffar leapt from his chair, and came up to me, his hands clenched, his black eyes gleaming, his teeth set together as if in a terrible rage.

“You are a liar and a villain!” he screamed.

“Ah, remember this morning.  I accused him, gentlemen, of being connected with this ghost only to-day, and he flushed guiltily and was silent.  He looked like a Judas who betrayed his master.”

“Quietly, please,” I replied.  “You did come to me this morning with some foolish jargon about my being connected with last night’s affair, but I was so surprised by the absurdity and foolishness of such a thing, that I could not answer you before you ran away.”

“You hear?” shrieked the Egyptian.  “So surprised, was he?  If he was, it was because I had found him out.”

“This man is mad,” I said.  “Surely he ought to be shut up.”

“Mad, am I?” he shrieked.  “Yes, and you are a liar, a coward, a villain!  You are engaged in a fiendish plot; you are deceiving an innocent lady.  Ah, I spurn you, spit upon you.”

“Mr. Kaffar,” said Tom Temple, “really this cannot be allowed.  You must remember you are among gentlemen and ladies.  Please act accordingly.”

“Ladies there are, gentlemen there are,” shrieked the Egyptian; “but he”—­pointing at me—­“is no gentleman.  He is at once a viper, a villain, and a coward.  I leave this house; I renounce pleasant society; I leave this country—­for ever; but before I go I would like to fight hand to hand with that giant, who—­Ha!” He stood close to me and spat at me.  “There!” he cried, and then he struck me in the face with all his strength.

Instantly I leapt to my feet.  This insult was too great.  I could scarcely restrain from striking him to the ground.  I mastered myself, however, and so did not touch him.