dressed her hair. No harm in this; but it had seemed to Biddy that
Rachel deliberately incited the girl to do things which "Antoun"
disapproved. Brigit fancied that Bedr's influence had been at work, for
knowing as he did that "Antoun" would gladly have given him marching
orders, he took pleasure in thwarting his superior when he could do so
with safety. Bedr had been clever in enlisting the girls' sympathy for
his soul. As for Biddy, she had disliked him from the first, and
imagined that he had tacked himself onto our party as a spy, upon the
receipt of orders from America, he having learned most of his English
there. The idea appeared so far-fetched that she had abandoned it. Now,
however, it was again hovering at the back of her mind.

Bedr had told Rachel stories of the fascination of hasheesh smoking,
and had said that no stranger knew Cairo who did not visit one of the
"best houses" where hasheesh, though forbidden, was still secretly
smoked. He had assured her that there were several which were
"perfectly respectable," even for the "nicest ladies and gentlemen;"
and Rachel, probably at his suggestion, had tried to persuade Monny to
make the expedition. Monny had mentioned it to "Antoun," in the
presence of everybody; and as Rachel and Bedr had looked guilty, Biddy
guessed that they had wished to keep the plan a secret.

"Antoun" had perhaps too brusquely vetoed the idea. He said that there
were no such houses, which could be visited by ladies, and that it was
absurd to think of going. That word "absurd" stung Monny. She began to
protest that Bedr knew Cairo as well as Antoun did, and was as likely
to be right. "I don't see why we shouldn't go, if others do," she
persisted, "and I've always longed to know what a hasheesh dream was
like, ever since I read De Quincey. A little, just once, could do us no
harm, and Rachel says----"