At length the dinner was over, and they got up to go into the drawing-room. And now, instantly, Mrs. Armine was seized by a frantic longing to escape. The felucca, she felt sure, was waiting on the still water just below the promontory. If only Nigel would remain behind over his cigarette in the dining-room for a moment, she would steal out to see. She would not start, of course, till he was safely upstairs. But she longed to be sure that the boat was there.
"Won't you have your cigarette in here?" she said, carelessly, as he followed her towards the door.
"Here? Alone?"
His voice sounded surprised.
"I thought perhaps you wanted another glass of wine," she murmured with a feigned indifference as she walked on.
"No," he said, "I am coming to the terrace with you."
"For a little while. But you must soon go to bed. Now that Doctor Isaacson has gone, I must play the sick nurse again, or you will be ill, and then I know he'll blame me."
"How do you know that?"
The sound of his voice startled her. She was just by the drawing-room door. She stood still and looked round.
"How?" she said. "Why, because Doctor Isaacson doesn't believe in me in any capacity."
"But I do."
Again she noticed the amazing expressiveness of his face.
"Yes," she said, "I know. You are different."
She opened the door and passed into the room. Directly she was in it she heard the Nubian sailors on the Loulia beginning their serenade. (She chose to call it that to herself to-night.) Their music tore at her heart, at her whole nature. She wanted to rush to it, now, at once, without one moment of waiting. Hardly could she force her body to move quietly across the room to the terrace. Nigel came up and stood close to her.
"Oh, I must have a wrap," she said.
"I'll fetch it."
"No, no! You mustn't go upstairs. You'll tire yourself."
"Not to-night," he said.
And he turned away. Directly the door shut behind him Mrs. Armine darted into the garden.
"Ibrahim! Ibrahim! Are you there?"
"Yes, my lady."
He came up from the water's edge and stood beside her.
"I can't come yet, but I'll be as quick as I can."
"Yes."
He looked at her. Then he said: "I dunno what Mahmoud Baroudi say to us. He got one girl on the board."
"On the board!"
"On the board of the Loulia."
"Ruby! Ruby! where are you?"
"Go back! Wait for me--wait!"
"Ruby!"
"I'm here! I'm coming, Nigel!"