Having finished the dictating of his letter, the Consul-General asked when the next mail left for England, whereupon the Secretary, whose voice was now as tremulous as his hand had been, replied that there would be no direct post for nearly a week.
"That will do. Copy out the letter and let me have it to sign."
With a frightened look the Secretary turned to go.
"Wait! Of course you will observe absolute secrecy about the contents of it?"
With a tremulous promise to do so the Secretary left the room.
Then the Consul-General took up a calendar that had been standing on his desk and began to count the days.
"Five—ten—fifteen, and five days more before I can receive a reply—it's enough," he thought.
England's eyes would be opened by that time and the public would see how much the Government knew about Egypt. Accept his resignation? They dare not! It would do them good, though—serve as a rebuke, and strengthen his own hands for the work he had now to do.
What was that work? To destroy the man who had robbed him of his son.
CHAPTER II