“No; what absurdity—I am going to be married——”
The gate opened, and Lalla slipped in and closed it again so quickly that Max could not get even the slightest glimpse of what was on the other side.
“Never mind, I will when his nibs goes in,” thought Max.
But again he was mistaken, for the old party, looking quite disreputable in his blood-stained clothes, dodged in just as expeditiously as the girl had done.
“I’ll be hanged if I’ll be treated this way!” said Max. “I’ll see over that wall, or I’ll know the reason why.”
He looked for a good climbing place, and found a better one than he expected.
“Here goes—Mahdi or no Mahdi,” he said, as he commenced climbing the wall.
When he reached the top he saw an elegant estate.
The lawn was as beautiful as Central Park, and a number of fountains were sending up continuous sprays of water, which the slight breeze scattered over the turf, keeping the grass green and soft.
A large house stood in the center, and near to its main entrance stood Lalla.