She stood awhile listening to the tap,
tap, tap of the heavy stick receding along the street. What she
did not hear, and could not have understood had she heard, since
it was uttered in Spanish, was the cry of exultant hatred which
came from the lips of the taller man:
"At last, Miguel! at last! Though blind, you have found him!
You have not failed. I shall not fail!"
*****
Zahara peeped through the carved screen at the assembled company.
They were smoking and drinking and seemed to be in high good
humour. Safiyeh had danced and they had applauded the
performance, but had complained to M. Agapoulos that they had
seen scores of such dances and dancers. Safiyeh, who had very
little English, had not understood this, and because presently
she was to play upon the a'ood while Zahara danced the Dance of
the Veils, Zahara had avoided informing her of the verdict of the
company.
Now as she peeped through the lattice in the screen she could see
the Greek haggling with Grantham and a tall gray-haired man whom
she supposed to be Sir Horace Tipton. They were debating the
additional fees to be paid if Zahara, the Star of Egypt, was to
present the secret and wonderful dance of which all men had heard
but which only a true daughter of the ancient tribe of the
Ghawazi could perform.
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