“Of course,” said Billy, and Lady Claire, perceiving that he resented this catechism about his young countrywoman, and Miss Falconer perceiving that nothing was to be gotten out of him, the conversation was promptly turned into other channels, the vague, general channels of comment upon Cairo.

* * * * *

The Evershams dined alone.  Alternately, from their table to the doorway went Billy’s eager eyes, but no vision with shining curls and laughing eyes appeared.  Evidently she had stayed to dine with whatever people she had gone to see.  Robert Falconer was watching that table, too....  Perhaps she would not return till late; perhaps he would have only a tiny time with her that evening....  And he had not been able to buy out that man’s berth upon the steamer....

Consomme and whitebait, boeuf roti and haricots vert and creme de cerises succeeded one another in deepening gloom.  The whole dinner over, and she had not appeared!

He went out to the lounge and smoked with violence.  Presently he saw the Evershams in the doorway talking to Robert Falconer, and he jumped up and hurried to join them.  As he approached he heard the word Alexandria spoken fretfully by Mrs. Eversham.

“Good evening, good evening,” said Billy hurriedly to the ladies, and being a young man of simple directness, undeterred by the glacial tinge of the ladies’ response—­they had not forgotten his defection of the evening before when they were entertaining him so nicely—­he put the question which had been tormenting him all evening, “Where is Miss Beecher to-night?”

“Alexandria,” said Mrs. Eversham again, and this time there was a hint of malicious satisfaction in her voice.

“Alexandria?” Billy was incredulous.  “Why I—­I understood she was to go up the Nile to-morrow morning.”

“She was, but she has changed her mind.  She had word from some friends of hers while we were out this afternoon and she flew right off to join them.”

“You mean she isn’t going up the Nile at all now?”

“I haven’t an idea what she is going to do.  She is not in our care any longer.  And I don’t suppose the boat company will do anything about her stateroom at this late date—­certainly she can’t expect us to go to any trouble about it.”

“She left us half her packing to do,” Clara Eversham contributed, addressing Falconer with plaintive mien, “and her hotel bill to pay.  She is the most unexpected creature!”

Two young men silently and heartily concurred.

“What was her hurry?” Billy demanded.

“Oh, she’s going camping in the desert with them—­that sort of thing would fascinate her, you know.  Her telegram wasn’t very clear.  She just sent a wire from the station, I think, or from Cook’s, with some money for her bill by the boy.  So careless, trusting him like that!”

“I don’t suppose he brought it all,” Mrs. Eversham declared.  “You see, she didn’t say how much she was sending—­just said it was enough for her bill.”