He was struck by her nervous uneasiness. And he thought of the words of the old Oriental, which had made upon him a profound impression, perhaps because they had seemed spoken, not to the young Frenchman, but in answer to unuttered thoughts of his own.
“Let us sit here for a minute,” he said.
Hermione sat down again in silence. They talked for a little while about trifling things. And then Artois was moved to tell her of the conversation he had that evening overheard, to repeat to her, almost word for word, what the old Oriental had said. When he had finished Hermione was silent for a minute. Then she moved her chair and said, in an unsteady voice:
“I don’t think I should ever learn the lesson of the desert. Perhaps only those who belong to it can learn from it.”
“If it is so it is sad—for the others.”
“Let us go and find Vere,” she said.
“Are you sure she is on the cliff?” he asked, as they passed out by the front door.
“I think so. I am almost certain she is.”
They went forward, and almost immediately heard a murmur of voices.
“Vere is with some one,” said Artois.