Still Helena did not answer. She was now sitting with her eyes down, and her hands tightly folded in her lap. There was a moment of silence while he waited for her to speak, and in that silence there came the muffled sound of Ishmael's voice outside, reciting the Fatihah—
"Praise be to God, the Lord of all creatures——"
When the whole body of the people had repeated the solemn words there was silence in the guest-room again, and, in the same hushed whisper as before, but more eagerly, more impetuously, Gordon said—
"He says you put this scheme into his mind, Helena. If so, you must know quite well what it will lead to. It will lead to ruin—inevitable ruin; bloodshed—perhaps great bloodshed."
Helena found her voice at last. A spirit of defiance took possession of her for a moment, and she said firmly—
"No, it will never come to that. It will all end before it goes so far."
"You mean that he will be ... will be taken?"
"Yes, he will be taken the moment he sets foot in Cairo. Therefore the rest of the plan will never be carried out, and consequently there will be no bloodshed."
"Do you know that, Helena?"
Her lips were compressed; she made a silent motion of her head.