The Fortieth Door

through open arches into the green of a garden-that garden, Ryder hardly needed to

of the two wings of the building, gay white walls with green shutters more suggestive of a French

where in those secluded rooms, to which no man but th

charm except the color of some worn old rugs; the windows were draped in European style, the walls exhibited paper instead of paneling; in one

raits of pompous turbaned gentlemen, in one of whom Ryder recog

der's vague, romantic notions of high hal

was dressed for parade, in a very light, very tight suit, gardenia in his button-hole, cane in hi

distrustful

nnounced himself as the bearer of glad tidings. A fortune, he announced, was coming to the pa

he word fortune was operating. In the back of his mind he was hastily t

d so many other matters to look up that I did not at once consult my records. And it has been so many years since you mar

s thoughts to dart down several avenues and back. If the man should deny it! But why should he? What harm in the a

d and Ryder b

" said Tewf

communication with France for

y not, m

has taken a little time for her to adjust herself." He paused and looked understanding

," he murmured. He added, "This fortune

ssé-the former Madame Delcassé I

McLean had worked the miracle. No accusations, no threats, no obstacles, no blank walls of denial! Not a ruffle of discord

an. He had never h

s not wholly the

?" And at McLean's confirmation, "And when you say fortune," he continued, "you intend to s

ntil the aunt is in communication with her niece. But they will

joy it," said Tewfic

Ryder in haste. "Her only care now

uld be arranged," s

rance," McLean told him, "but we cam

ousand! The bearers of good

dy's marriage," pursued McLean, "and you would, of course, wish

all. A fortune is as pleas

h purposeful vagueness. "French wardship and trusteeship

said the p

iage," McLean persisted thoughtfully, "and since mademoisell

I have not heard that England has relinquished

ation must rest upon himself. "And under her father's will his family there is considered in trusteeship. So there would be certain technicalities that must be considered before

his extensive advice. He looked puzzled. This American fitted into no type of his acquaintance. He was so very young

the French fa

Ryder declare

, bristling, "that my daughter has been very well c

h the authorities.... Already," he added a little meaningly, as the other shrugged the suggestion away, "there have been questions raised concerning the mother's marri

while his unfinished thought seemed to f

nogrammed with diamonds and emeralds. "Ah, coffee!" he announced, welco

sual Turkish brew. No, this comes from Aden, the finest coff

ce. "But you were saying-something of a trusteeship?... Do I understand that it i

f Monsieur Delcassé,

ed be no concern in France over my daughter's marriage....

Mademoisell

aid Ryde

lcassé," repeated the pasha,

been speaking-you

y daughter-the daughter of

each other. But you appear to know so much-and I supposed that you

attentive; Ryder's face maintained that look of conce

cting another cigarette. "Not long after her mother's marriage to me.... A very c

ean very slowly. "This will be a great disapp

y dau

yder could hardly tr

ce whose edged quality brought the pasha's glance

gh. "Of the fever, monsieur

. I should like

afraid. You must know that the little one w

he was only five or six y

asha

t is not too much trouble.... The father died about fiftee

monsieu

as frankl

d's death-how can one recall after these years? In one, two years aft

t was long ago-when your ow

enly obliging and sentimental, "that even my little one cried for the child. It was

erved McLean, setting the example for rising. "You will pardon my

your trouble," their host a

to be led away wit

he Delcassé ch

ick hesitated. The

d your own daughter's name, also, is Aimé

g friend, monsieur, is uninformed that Turkish children have many names.... After the loss of the elde

," said McL

t the questions raised by his marriage the old fox sniffed the wind and was afraid of trouble-he decided on the instant tha

, you mus

ver-desert burial-two Aimées! And the sentimental face he pu

n chu

on. "I'll bet he murdered Delcassé and kidnapped

ve been in no end of trouble with a dead man and a wrecked expedition and a baby on her hands, and Tewfick may have offered himself as a grateful solution to her. You

der snorted. "Th

imperturbably. "It hangs together. If this girl you met thinks she's his daughter, that's conclusive. She'd

wn fond of her, of course. If yo

y have kept her in the dark.... We'd better call it a

ars old. And I've seen the girl and she's eighteen if she's a day-you

d something about the ear

ung angrily back. "

one everything that we can and there is no use working yourself up.... If anybody's to blame in this business, I don't think it's Tewfick-he's done the handsome thing by

hey could. McLean had been a brick. There remained nothing now bu

e might not have done that if you hadn't rushed him so, tryi

Ryder responded indignantly, and to that McLean

the bitter taste of blame in his mouth, the ga

McLean's advice. He might-but for that-have gone

did none of

the girl know as much of the story as he knew and draw her own conclusions. Then, if she

to the truth and to

pe. It was manifest in the tenacity with which he refused to send the locket to the Delcassés. He had the case and the miniature photographed very carefully by the man

other pla

e Jinny Jeffries-now up the Nile-had stayed. He spent a great deal of time evenings in the hotel garden, staring over the brick walls to the

lked up and down the ver

uld get away if she wanted to and sh

here were the mails-simple and obvious channel-but he had a strong idea that maidens in Mohammedan

t the streets, covertly eyeing the baggy-trousered sais who stood holding a horse in the sun or the tattered baker's boy, approaching the ent

he would now be upon such terms of intimacy with some official's pretty wife who had

g young matrons not averse to devoted young men, but the time was short for

rn for another week. And if she changed her mind and took the boat back-a

of them now since he and McLean had heard

to trust to that idea which had