he shouldn't have stopped it and gone out of business without the same
consent. It cut down the Effendina's tribute."

He spoke slowly, counting every word, watching the effect upon her. He
had much to watch, and he would have seen more if he had known women
better.

"He has abandoned the mines--his city--and slavery?" she asked
chokingly, confusedly. It seemed hard for her to speak.

"Yes, yes, didn't you know? Didn't he tell you?" She shook her head.
She was thinking back-remembering their last conversation, remembering
how sharp and unfriendly she had been with him. He had even then freed
his slaves, had given her slaves to free.

"I wonder what made him do it?" added Dicky. "He had made a great
fortune--poor devil, he needed it, for the estates were sweating under
the load. I wonder what made him do it?"

She looked at him bewilderedly for a moment, then, suddenly, some faint
suspicion struck her.

"You should know. You joined with him in deceiving me at Assiout."

"But, no," he responded quickly, and with rare innocence, "the situation
was difficult. You already knew him very well, and it was the force of
circumstances--simply the force of circumstances. Bad luck--no more.
He was innocent, mine was the guilt. I confess I was enjoying the thing,
because--because, you see he had deceived me, actually deceived me, his
best friend. I didn't know he knew you personally, till you two met on