“Tell him,” whispered Helen as she beat her best, “that—— Nay, Namlah, thou tearest out my arms. Behold, I can do no more.” She fell forward with the woman underneath, and in the confusion whispered her message. “Tell him I prefer death to my freedom at such a price,” and shrank back, for the benefit of the onlookers, when Namlah, flinging all that was left of the washing item in her face, ran off, with much cursing, up the path to where Yussuf waited in the shadows.
And hope sprang up in Ralph Trenchard’s heart as he climbed the steps in answer to Zarah’s summons, followed by the Nubian at some distance.
Suddenly, and with a most amazing clumsiness, Yussuf walked out from behind the great boulder straight into his arms.
“Sorry!” said Trenchard shortly, as he tried to free himself from the grasp of the infuriated Arab. “You came out so——”
“Hast no thoughts for others?” shouted Yussuf at the top of his voice. “Thine ear,” he whispered, whilst he shook Ralph Trenchard violently. “Zarah will offer thee thy white woman’s freedom for thy love. The white woman prefers death to freedom without thee. She loves thee. Nay,” he suddenly yelled, “wouldst push a blind man to his death?” The two seemed locked in anger as Al-Asad raced up the path. “A message,” he whispered. “Shake me in anger. Give me a message for thy woman—give me a message.”
The Nubian was close upon them.
Trenchard grasped the blind man and shook him.
“Tell her to stand fast and to fear nothing,” he whispered, then shouted angrily. “How can I hear thy noiseless feet on the——” He reeled as Yussuf hurled him backwards and continued to climb the steps, whilst the blind man filled the night air with curses.
Zarah was quite alone.