“Do sit down and help yourself!” said she indeed, and clapping her hands sharply ordered fresh food and drinks, both hot and cold, to be brought upon the instant.

And her next remark, after the breakfast of tea in a real teapot, a hissing kettle, strange loaves, purest butter, honey, and fruits of every conceivable colour had been laid upon a cloth upon the grass, fell like a bolt from the blue, though the man made no sign of disturbance from the impact.

“I want eggs and bacon, Hahmed!”

For a moment he pondered the remark, whilst he offered Jill a cigarette and lit one for himself.

“The eggs, my woman,” and the musical voice made a poem even of the absurd words, “now that thou hast taught thy slaves to poach and scramble and prepare them in divers and pleasant ways, are easy—­but bacon—­no! that canst thou not have amongst these my people!”

And Jill swung ceaselessly to and fro, looking at the man sitting a few yards from her on a rug, before she answered in tersest English: 

“Don’t be dense, Hahmed!   I want eggs and bacon, and a starched finger
napkin--toast in a rack--covered dishes--marmalade--I’m--I’m------”

“Fed up!”

The deep voice filled in the pause also in tersest English.

For one moment Jill sat up as straight as the hammock would allow, and then for the first time in many days broke into a peal of sweetest laughter, and swinging herself clear of the net ran over and laid herself down upon the rug beside the man, with her chin in the palms of her hands, to find herself the next moment in his arms, whilst he looked down into her eyes without speaking.  Whereupon she turned her face on to his shoulder and burst into tears.

And Hahmed, being wise, let her cry until there were no more tears, only little sobs which tore at his heart, which lightened considerably when having mopped her eyes with the edge of his cloak, she twisted herself into a sitting position, and smiled as she laid her golden head against his dark one, and entwined her slim fingers in his.

And Hahmed smiled also, knowing that this was the preliminary to some request of which his wife had doubts as to the granting, but never a word did he utter, nor made sign to help, whilst Jill, somewhat at a loss, lit a cigarette, and proceeded to blow rings which on account of the breeze refused to pass one through the other.

“Hahmed!” she managed at last and stopped, and then continued as she got up and moved away:  “Hahmed!  I’m feeling absolutely miserable.  I think I want a change—­I really do want all I said just now, so—­so can’t we go to Cairo and stay at an English hotel for the New Year?  We could just do it if we started at once—­couldn’t we?  I know you have important business or something next month—­can’t you put it off?”

Hahmed looked at her for a moment, as she stood very fair and straight, with her beautiful feet peeping from under her trailing gown; and frowned a little, noticing the shadows round the big eyes, and the suspicion of a collar-bone showing above the embroidery of her bodice.