He said this as if half soliloquizing, and with such an air of glad heartiness that she at once felt that the words had in them nothing of the emptiness of mere compliment.
She hastened to say timidly, “If we find that she is not able to talk with us to-day, we can arrange to see her to-morrow when she is fresh. Perhaps, too, she will then be able to bear removal to our house and—could I count on your aid in transferring her, for my brothers are away and my father has gone to Rome?”
“How gladly I agree to this the lady Rachel, I trust, already knows. At the same time, I must confess, I have some doubt as to what the morrow may bring to me; and so I would fain do as much as I can to-day.”
“You do not mean—I trust you do not mean danger?” and she looked anxiously at him.
Before he could answer a knock was heard at the door and a servant entered to say that the sedan of the lady was waiting at the gate. Rachel hastily prepared for the street. Going to Seti, who now stood by the door, she kissed him and—stood embarrassed.
“Well, what is it, my Gem of Alexandria?” said Seti. “What can we do for you? Do you want the old man to send you off with a formal blessing? The blessing of a heathen is not worth very much.”
“You are no heathen,” rejoined the maiden; “and I have already a great store of your blessings carefully laid up at home among my treasures. Give your blessing to-day to these friends of ours who, I fear, are in danger, and who have deserved well at our hands. You are wise and powerful—protect them, or you and I will have to part company. I hate ingratitude”—and she shook her finger at him.
“By the way,” she added, “do you think that so valuable a jewel as the Gem of Alexandria ought to pass along the street without an escort?”
“I was about to offer the lady my escort on her way as far as Miriam, whom I wished to question: but it seems that I am a person who himself needs protection,” said Aleph with a smile.