"That I cannot tell. I was too young to understand. She never talked of such things before me, but she kept to none of our customs, that I know. In the three months I served her, never did she leave the house, not even to visit the cemetery on a Friday, as perhaps the master would have allowed her to do, if she had wished."
"Do you remember if she spoke of a sister?"
"She had a photograph of a little girl, whose picture looked like herself. Once she told me it was her sister, but the next day the photograph was gone from its place, and I never saw it again. Yamina thought the master was jealous, because our lady looked at it a great deal."
"Was there any other lady in that house," Nevill ventured, "or was yours the master's only wife?"
"There was no other lady at that time," Mouni replied promptly.
"So far, so good," said Nevill. "Well, Legs, I don't think there's any doubt we've got hold of the right end of the stick now. Mouni's beautiful lady and Miss Ray's sister Saidee are certainly one and the same. Ho for the white farmhouse on the hill!"
"Must we go back to Algiers, or can we get to Bou-Saada from here?" Stephen asked.
Nevill laughed. "You are in a hurry! Oh, we can get there from here all right. Would you like to start now?"
Stephen's face reddened. "Why not, if we've found out all we can from this girl?" He tried to speak indifferently.
Nevill laughed again. "Very well. There's nothing left then, except to say good-bye to the fair bride and her relations."