“Well, I will write through them.”
He took a note-book from his pocket, and at her dictation wrote down the name and address of a firm of solicitors in Lincoln’s Inn. During the slight pause in their talk as he did this, Lauriston heard a sound upon the stairs, and looked up suddenly, convinced that some one had been listening.
“What is it?” asked Nouna.
“Somebody on the stairs,” whispered he.
As he spoke, they both heard another light sound lower down; but when they looked into the dimly-lighted hall the eavesdropper had disappeared.
“It was not Rahas; he treads so that you can hear him,” said Nouna.
“It was a woman, I am sure,” said Lauriston.
“A woman,” repeated Nouna. “And it was the end of a woman’s dress, a long black dress, I saw in Fanah’s room. I thought it must be a fancy, for when Rahas sent me to sleep to-day and made me see mamma she wore a long black dress.”
“Rahas sent you to sleep! Why didn’t you tell me?” asked Lauriston rather sharply.
“I had no time; I forgot about it.”