"They may have the mejedie now," she said; "if you will give it to me, I will hand it to the sheik, and he will divide it amongst them."
For they were all holding out their hands greedily to Sir William to receive the coin.
"Now it is all right," she said; "let us ride on quickly."
"You are a splendid dragoman, Miss Schwarz!" said Sir William. "How did you manage them so well?"
"Oh, I threatened them with the English consul, and the German consul, and with the Pacha, and with all sorts of other authorities," she said, laughing. "I knew they would not dare to hurt us; they would never hear the last of it if they did. And, besides, the sheik knows my father well, and as soon as I mentioned his name they became very civil. I hope you did not mind giving them the mejedie, Sir William; but I promised them a little reward if they were good."
"Oh, not at all," he said, laughing; "it was a cheap way of getting off! They would not get much each, poor fellows!"
"Oh, quite plenty," said Miss Schwarz; "if they had been more civil we might have given them a little more. I hope you were not very much frightened, Miss Trafford."
"Oh, only a little," said Evelyn; but she looked pale and tired, and we were all very glad to get safely back to the hotel.
Evelyn lay on the sofa in the sitting-room all the evening, and I sat beside her, whilst Sir William went into the coffee-room and discussed the adventures of the day with a party of English travellers who had arrived that evening from Jaffa.
My beautiful ferns and flowers looked withered after the heat of the day, so I gave them fresh water, and pressed one or two of the prettiest in blotting-paper. Then I sat down beside Evelyn, with my work in my hand, but I did not feel inclined to sew. I felt very dull and depressed, and Evelyn seemed so likewise. I said to myself that it was only the reaction after the excitement and fright we had experienced that afternoon, and yet I felt that, after all, that was not the real reason.