After others had answered in the same way Ishmael turned to Mahmud, his uncle, whereupon the old man wiped his rheumy eyes and said—
"Your life is in God's hand, O son of my brother, and man cannot escape his destiny. If it is God's will that you should be the first to go into Cairo you will go, and God will protect you. But speaking for myself, I should think it a shame and a humiliation that the father of his people should not enter the city with his children. If Omar says he can do as much as you, believe him—the white man does not lie."
No sooner had the old man concluded than the whole company with one voice shouted that they were all of the same opinion, whereupon Ishmael cried—
"So be it, then! Omar it shall be! And do not think for one moment that I grudge your choice."
"El Hamdullillah!" shouted the company, as from a sense of otherwise inexpressible relief.
Meantime Gordon was conscious only of Helena's violent agitation. Though he dared not look at her, he seemed to see her feverish face and the expression of terror in her lustrous eyes. At length, when the shouts of the Sheikhs had subsided, he heard her tremulous voice saying hurriedly to Ishmael—
"Do not listen to them."
"But why, my Rani?" Ishmael asked in a whisper.
She tried to answer him and could not. "Because ... because——"
"Because—what?" asked Ishmael again.