“Thou hast done well.” Blake’s voice shook a little as he thought how well. “Thou hast done very well. But why?”
The man was very ugly and very black, but all the poetry and sadness of the Arab were in his face as he answered:
“We were his men. We loved him.”
Blake’s eyes were dim as he looked across at the ruined house. There Mannering had gone down, and his hope, his work, his deeds—all these had gone down with him into dust.
“But even here there was love left,” said Blake aloud, with a kind of wonder; “even here there was love left!”
Then he took his men and Mannering’s and went to join Macartney in the ordering of Wakonda.
VERITA’S STRATAGEM
BY ANNE WARNER[7]
Author of “Susan Clegg,” “Seeing France with Uncle John,” etc.