had not failed her earlier in the day, and that if she could but stick
out the next few hours she would find a sure reward for her present
distress.

But she stopped short and clicked her teeth angrily when she met the
native of the restaurant face to face in a narrow street, and turned
and walked in the opposite direction as quickly as her dignity would
allow.

But after the same thing had happened three times, and that it had
suddenly struck her that she was being headed in the direction of a
quarter where unveiled women peered from windows with great eyes made
larger by the rims of kohl smeared on the lid, and the cheeks rendered
dead white with the powder that proves so strangely attractive to the
eastern prostitute, she suddenly made up her mind to get herself out of
the danger and difficulty. She was utterly lost, and walking at a pace
that was almost a run, turned into the street she found nearest.

Not one open door did she see; at least, not one that was not congested
with women sitting smoking or eating sticky sweetmeats, or drying their
heads plastered in the henna clay which would eventually dye their hair
the red favoured of man.

She was wellnigh breathless and wondering for how long she could
continue when the man suddenly appeared at the top of the street into
which she had just turned, and seeing her salaamed deeply.

Back she twisted like a hunted hare and raced up the street through
which she had just passed.