into a third. She'd likely to forget she said an unkind word the next
time she meets you. Give her one chance and she'll pretend she
believes you were born to the purple--flatter you until you half
believe it yourself. Later on, when it suits her at the moment, she'll
denounce you as a social impostor! It's just habit--bad habit, I
admit--comes of the life she leads. Lots of 'em like her. Few of 'em
quite so well informed, though, and dangerous if you give 'em a chance."

"I still don't see why you're sweating," said Fred.

"It's hot. There's a chance she knows where the ivory is! She has
money, but how? She'd have begged if she were short of cash! It's my
impression she has been in German government employ for a number of
years. Possibly they have paid her to do some spy-work--in the
Zanzibar court, perhaps--the Sultan's a mere boy--"

"Isn't he woolly-headed?" objected Yerkes.

"Mainly Arab. It's a French game to send a white woman to intrigue at
colored courts, but the Germans are good imitators."

"Isn't she English?" asked Yerkes.

"Her trade's international," said Monty dryly. "My guess is that
Coutlass or Hassan told her what we're supposed to be doing here, and
she pretends to know where the ivory is in order to trap us all in some
way. The net's spread for me, but there's no objection to catching you
fellows as well."

"She'll need to use sweeter bait than I've seen yet!" laughed Yerkes.