Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: July 25, 2025
Suppose Mortimer, growing suspicious, had made use of Nur-el-Din to lure him to an ambush in this lonely place? Why the devil hadn't he brought a revolver with him? Then Desmond's Irish blood came to his rescue. He gave his head a little shake, took a firm hold of his stick which was a stoutish sort of cudgel and striding boldly up to the door indicated, tapped.
Looking up the staircase from the landing, they could see that one of the panels of the door facing the head of the stairs had been pressed out and lay on the ground. They passed up the stairs and Matthews, putting one arm and his head through the opening, found himself gazing into that selfsame ugly sitting room where Desmond had talked with Nur-el-Din.
He had a singularly retentive memory, and he was loth to have these compromising papers in the house whilst Nur-el-Din was there. He took a quick decision and pitched the whole lot into the fire, retaining only the annotated list of Mr. Bellward's friends. This he placed in his pocket-book and, after watching the rest of the papers crumble away into ashes, went downstairs to lunch.
But now I wish your help. It is unfortunate that you were absent from home at the very time I counted upon your aid." She flashed a glance at him as though awaiting an apology. "I am extremely sorry," said Desmond, "if I had but known..." Nur-el-Din nodded carelessly. "I wish to pass the night here," she went on, "in fact, I may be here for several days.
Nur-el-Din, white to the lips, stood by the table, nervously twisting a little handkerchief. "Non, non," she said rapidly, "you must not see him. He has come to find me. Ah! if he should find out what I have done... you will not give me up to this man?" "You need not see him," Desmond expostulated gently, "I will say you are not here! Who is this Mortimer that he should seek to do you harm?"
Again there came to him that odor of mustiness of all smells the most eerie and drear which he had noticed on his arrival. Somehow, as long as Nur-el-Din had been there, he had not remarked the appalling loneliness of the place. A big log fire was blazing cheerfully in the grate, throwing out a bright glow into the room which, despite the early hour, was already wreathed in shadows.
Francis knew nothing of the girl or her antecedents while he, Desmond, flattered himself that he had at least located the place she occupied in this dark conspiracy. And he cried out vehemently: "You're talking like a fool! I grant you that Nur-el-Din has been mixed up with this spy crowd; but she herself stands absolutely apart from the organization..."
"As far as I can recollect just as the maid opened the door to Captain Strangwise, Nur-el-Din was impressing on me again to take great care of the package. I don't think she actually mentioned the box but I remember her pointing at my bag where I had put the package." "The maid didn't see Nur-el-Din give you the box?" "No, I'm sure of that. The room was empty save for us two.
He begged the Chief to see that his real name was not revealed for the disgrace that his execution would bring upon his family. Curiously Prussian attitude of mind, isn't it?" "And what did the Chief say?" "I don't know; but he was mighty short with him, I expect." "And what was Strangwise's real name?" "When he told us that Nur-el-Din was his wife, I knew at once who he was.
He would ferret out for himself the exact part that Nur-el-Din and Mortimer were playing in this band of spies. Nothing definite had come of his interviews with them as yet. It would be time enough to communicate with Headquarters when he had something positive to report. Then Desmond thrust the paper he had been studying back in his pocket-book and jumped up.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking