snapped at Maria Hobson, who, tucking her up in bed, remarked, greatly
daring, upon the amount of liberty allowed the child.

"Don't be foolish, my good woman," she said, "and do for goodness' sake
mind your business of looking after me. Although my god-daughter may
bluff a bit for the fun of the game, and get let down a bit for her own
good, yet I shouldn't advise anyone to get seeing her too often. Fate
dealt her a royal straight flush in hearts, and better that you
can't--no! not even if you hold a full house of intrigue and bad intent
t'other end of Life's table."

"Humff!" replied the maid heavily through her nose, not having
understood one word of her mistress's admonition.

Each day at breakfast and at dinner a bunch, big or little, of simple
or hothouse flowers lay beside the girl's plate, without name or
message.

Now, the finding of flowers upon your table does not, in Egypt,
necessarily imply that the donor thereof is a son of the desert; the
maître d'hôtel has been known to do it out of deference to your rank or
purse; and only once had Jane Coop had the mixed pleasure of meeting
the deaf-mute Nubian who daily left the posies at the hotel.

Refreshed from her siesta, she had descended to the hall _via_ the
stairs instead of the lift, and bumped into the ebony-hued slave as he
bent to lay a sheaf of flowers upon the matting outside her mistress's
door.

He had straightened himself and salaamed almost to the ground--which