She saw the stern closing of his lips, and for an instant she felt afraid.
"Was it before the meeting of the Sheikhs at which Omar was chosen?"
"Yes," she replied. If Gordon was to be condemned to death, it was of no consequence what became of her.
"You told the English lord that Ishmael was coming to Cairo?"
"Yes." His deep, impenetrable eyes seemed to be looking through and through her.
"With what object and in—in what disguise?"
"Yes." She knew she was dashing herself to destruction, but no matter.
"When you sent your letter you said to yourself, 'Ishmael will go into Cairo, but my letter shall go before him.' Yes?"
"Yes." In the lowest depths of her soul she felt that if he killed her now she did not care.
"And when Omar stepped into the place you had meant for me you thought, 'The letter I wrote to destroy Ishmael will destroy Omar instead'?"