She was motioning to Max to go back, but he would not understand her signals.
He quietly dropped from the wall to the ground, and sheltered himself behind a clump of euphorbia.
He was afraid that his presence might be known, and that he would be expelled from the grounds.
He was determined to speak with Lalla, and did not see why it should be considered wrong to do so.
He knew how the Eastern women were guarded, and that if he were caught his life might be the forfeit, but he was Madcap Max still.
He saw the fat old party waddle along the driveway and enter the house.
“I wonder if he will beat her?” thought Max. “Jewilikins! if he does, I’ll break into his place and steal her away—that I will!”
But it soon became evident that his position would be an unpleasant one.
Either Lalla or the fat old party had determined to drive him from the grounds.
A dozen male servants of the great man who owned the estate started down the steps of the portico and made straight for the euphorbia.