I saw Voltaire and Kaffar exchanging glances, and I felt sure that I heard the former say in Arabic, "Not yet."
After this the two arranged to give us some manifestations of their power. While they were conversing I went across the room and spoke to Miss Forrest; but she was very reserved, and I thought her face looked very pale.
"This is becoming interesting," I said.
"I wish you had said nothing about his story," was her reply.
"Pray why?"
She only shook her head.
"Surely you do not believe in his foolish story or conjuring tricks?" I said laughingly.
But she did not reply in the same vein.
"Mr. Voltaire is a wonderful man," she said, "a clever man. If I were a man I should not like to make him my enemy."
"I have heard of an old saying at my home," I replied, "which ran something like this, 'Brag is a good dog, but Holdfast is better.'"