by Pamela Kent
"Tombs? Yes; of course..., But nothing very noteworthy! At least your great-uncle was no fool, and neither did he wish to deprive the local authorities, and most of his finds are in museums scattered about the country. No; the piece I have in mind he picked up quite legitimately in an antique shop."
"Oh!" she said again, for want of something better to say. "Would you mind telling me what this priceless piece is?"
He started to walk about the room, examining cabinets
24
and shelves. Plainly, he had been doing this very thing with the somewhat inadequate assistance of a flash-light
when she was inconsiderate enough to interrupt him.
He opened drawer after drawer, and turned away from the contents with disgust. Then, after running an eagle eye over the contents of a vast Chinese cabinet, hauling down various boxes that looked like deedboxes from a shelf and sorting through the accumulation inside them with very great diligence, but apparently failing to discover what he wanted .to discover, and feeling annoyed by his failure, he turned to her.
"It isn't here! Not in this room anyway.... And I know it used to be kept in this room. Of course, it's just remotely possible that your aunt parted with it, but I don't think so. She wouldn't have been such a fool, knowing what it was worth.... And someone with enough money to recompense her adequately might have been difficult to come by"
"You intrigue me," the old lady's great niece observed a trifle drily. "I think you're trying to make me understand that there is a small fortune hidden away somewhere in this house, and apparently you fancied it for yourself. Is that it?"
He swung round to face her and eyed her with great contempt.
"Of course not, you small-minded and quite unworthy descendant of a very interesting old gentleman and a very charming old lady! I happen to have your aunt's interests at heart.... And, incidentally, yours."
"Oh, yes?" she said, with increased dryness.
He regarded her with displeasure.
"Oh, yes," he echoed, his beautifully shaped eyebrows arching themselves disdainfully above his brilliant but veiled dark eyes. She couldn't help feeling that he would
25
have been completed by the wearing of a tarboosh - now, she knew, banned in Egypt - or some other form of classical Egyptian headdress. "Difficult as you may find it to believe, it does happen to be the truth. My own collection of objets d'art would be enhanced by the addition of such a piece but I wouldn't risk my reputation by breaking into a neighbour's house for the purpose of acquiring it illicitly."
"Then you are a neighbour," she stated rather than asked. "I have a house in the district, yes," he answered coldly. "Interesting!" she commented. "I must ask Kalim to
morrow what he knows about you. Now, will you be so good as to tell me a little more about your reason for coming here to-night?"
"I have told you, I got in by means of an unfastened window to look for the statuette I have already told you
about." "So it is a statuette!" "Made of solid gold!" Her feathery eyebrows ascended.
"Don't tell me it's also studded with diamonds?" The contempt returned to his face.
"It doesn't need to be studded with diamonds. It is of exquisite craftsmanship, and one of a pair - the other has been missing for half a century. If this one is missing, also, it will be a tragedy."
"And you wish to safeguard me against such a tragedy?"
"I wish to warn you that unless you want to be deprived of something exceptionally beautiful you will institute a search, and when this object has been found you will place it in very safe keeping. I can look after it for you myself, if you wish, or advise you as to the best method of ensuring its safety. And if you do wish to part with it I will buy it from you... .And, more than that, you shall name
your own price I"
"Ah!" Romilly exclaimed. "So you do covet it! And,"
she added, as the thought occurred to her, "you must be
very rich!"
He looked infinitely disdainful.
"That is an expression I find unpleasant. But if you
mean have I a sufficiency of this world's goods ...? Well,
yes, more than a sufficiency."
"Wonderful!" she exclaimed, with mock envy. "I wish
I had!"
He looked at her with rather more curiosity and interest
than he had displayed so far, and then remarked that, in
that case, she was fortunate to have been made the leading
beneficiary under the terms of her late aunt's will.
"For if you take skilled advice before disposing of the
contents of this house you will find that you have cause to be
grateful to the late Miss Romilly Styles. She lived for the
greater part of her life without very much luxury in her
�personal surroundings, but she hoarded many treasures throughout the years.... She loved them, and so did her father! I don't think she would have traded any of them for money."
"But I shall, very likely," Romilly remarked with a
shrug. "For one thing," she added defensively, "I don't live
in Egypt and I shall have to dispose of everything in this house. That is one of the reasons why I have come out here to see things for myself."
He nodded.
"And I'm right in believing you to be a second Miss Romilly Styles?" "Yes." An odd expression, not particularly nattering, crossed his
face. "But you will probably not die Miss Romilly Styles. One 27
might say it is a matter about which one can be certain!"
She felt the flush rise to her face again, and didn't know how to answer him. Feeling at a loss, and considering the situation absurd in any case, she decided to ask him:
"Before we go any farther, can I be told the name of the man who has my interests so 'much at heart that he breaks in at three o'clock in the morning to warn me about my statuette? I'll say nothing about the shock I received when I realised that someone was prowling about the house, and I'll say nothing about the curious, unorthodox style of your behaviour which could have resulted in my breaking my neck in the dark, since I couldn't find any of the light switches and hadn't got any matches -"
"In a strange house and a stranger country you should have made yourself familiar with the light switches before you went to bed," was all he commented as a result of this protest. And then he walked to the window and opened the heavy curtains and she saw to her surprise that it was by this time broad daylight outside, and the garden swam in a lovely, liquid light as the sun slipped into a lightly flushed, clear blue sky, and a chorus of birdsong reached them as the man flung the window wide.
He indicated the heartening picture before them with a shapely hand, and observed that even England couldn't produce anything fairer in the way of a brilliant early morning than the one mat had stolen up on them while they,were still shut away behind thick curtains. <�
Romilly agreed with him. And then she looked at him as he stood there, tall and shapely and very masculine, with shining black hair that was very beautifully bartered and an evenly tanned skin and square, attractive jaw - and a curiously mobile mouth, as she noted for the first time. She felt, suddenly, an intense curiosity about him, slightly disturbed by the fact that he was about to step out on to a
paved terrace and disappear - possibly quite permanently - out of her life. So while he talked as if to himself in a pleasing, almost a lyrical way about the charms of the morning, and the absurdity of considering thick curtains a necessity in such a climate, and incidentally painted such a vivid picture of the wonders of Egypt about which she as yet knew less than nothing, she decided to allow him to go on talking uninterrupted, until she thought she heard Kalim moving about on the ground floor of the house, and she spoke up hurriedly.
"You know, you may be very familiar with your subject, which you make sound quite interesting,-but I still haven't a clue who you are. If you don't wish me to get an entirely w
rong impression," with considerable dryness, "and just in case we meet again while I'm in Egypt, will you tell me who you are? It would be awkward if I had to greet you with 'Hello, Mr. Burglar?' Other people might get the wrong idea!"
He turned and smiled down at her.'
"Yes, it would be rather awkward, wouldn't it?"
"For you, but not for me!"
He continued to study her quite deliberately.
"Perhaps it didn't occur to you," he said, "but you could have shouted for help!"
And then he walked away from her into the calm beauty of the Egyptian morning, before the heat of the day became really trying, and while the dew was still sparkling on the grass of the well-cared-for borders.
CHAPTER II
KALIM was putting the finishing touches to her breakfasttable when she walked into the dining-room a couple of hours later, and she asked him at once wheAer he had heard any unusual sounds during the night. He assured her
he had heard nothing at all, but he offered her the assurance without looking at her, and she wondered whether he was being exactly truthful. She then tried him on the subject of her early morning caller, without mentioning the fact that the gentleman had broken in in a somewhat unorthodox manner, but once again Kalim failed to prove helpful.
He did not know such a gentleman, but there were several gentlemen in the district who might answer to' the description.... Tall and dark. There were quite a number of tall, dark gentlemen in the area.
Romilly gave up trying to drag any information out of him, and reminded him that he was driving her into Cairo to see her late aunt's solicitor that morning.
Romilly was quite sure modern Cairo was quite unlike the Cairo her Aunt Romilly had got to know when she arrived in Egypt all those years ago; but all the same the great-niece found it decidedly fascinating. The modern buildings impressed her, the shops, the towering blocks of offices and hotels, and the well-dressed crowds thronging the pavements. But in addition to well-dressed crowds there were still plenty of the poorer types, the obvious beggars for which Cairo had always been famous, and as well as the up-to-date buildings there were hundreds of fine old mosques. Romilly had realised there was a lot to seeg
and she would have loved to wander in the Ezbeklyeh Gardens, but she had an appointment with Mohammed Yusuf, her great-aunt's solicitor, at eleven o'clock, and any'sightseeing would have to wait until afterwards.
Mr. Yusuf's office was in a modern block, and from the well-organised outer office, complete with secretaries and typists, she gathered that he was a good deal in demand. He was a rather plump, balding gentleman with alert dark eyes behind spectacles, and although he greeted her politely enough she rather gathered that he was not prepared to waste a lot of time on her.
He had valued her aunt as a client, but she was an entirely different matter.
"Ah, Miss Styles!" he exclaimed, bouncing up out of his chair to shake her hand, and then seating himself again almost immediately. "So mis is your first visit to Cairo, yes?" He smiled perfunctorily, and she noticed he bad very well-cared-for teeth. "You have come to inspect your house, which is a very good house in a very good district. Your late aunt was very much attached to it, and I don't think she ever returned home to England once- she and her father decided to settle here in Egypt."
"No, I don't think she did," Romilly answered.
"Of course, she lived in a very different age, and life has altered a good deal in this country since Miss Styles decided to make it her home. But the value of her property has increased considerably since it was built, and if as I understand you wish to sell the house it should realise quite a fair price. Unfortunately you' did not inherit any of her financial assets, but the contents of the house are yours, and although I don't suppose you have had time yet to inspect them in detail they, too, should bring you in quite a nice little sum of money if you wish to dispose of them as well as the house."
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"I do," Romilly told him.
He pushed a box of cigarettes across the desk to her, but she declined, and he lighted one himself. He began to re- gard her with a little more interest, and as she was wearing a very neat, crisp outfit in a shade of Nile blue that went wonderfully well with her bright chestnut hair and perfect English complexion it was not perhaps surprising that a look of appreciation dawned slowly in his eyes.
She was also wearing white accessories, including an attractive white shoulder bag, and they gave her a curiously unblemished look. He relaxed very noticeably in his chair.
"Of course, I have no idea how long you intend this visit of yours to be, but it seems a pity if you are planning to make it as short as possible. There are various legal matters in connection with the will that will take some little time to tie up, and in addition it would be of the greatest possible assistance if you could make an inventory of the contents of the property yourself, especially as there are some fairly valuable items amongst it. Your late aunt's collection of jade, for instance, and a certain amount of jewellery which is old-fashioned but valuable."
Romilly was waiting for him to mention the golden statuette, but he did nothing of the kind. It struck her as slightly curious, if such a statuette existed, and he knew of it, that he didn't go out of his way to impress upon her that she was the owner of one very valuable ornament indeed; and then it occurred to her that perhaps he didn't know of the existence of the statuette, or perhaps her aunt had already disposed of it before her death, and that put that out of her reach once and for all.
But she thought it much more likely her early morning visitor had invented the statuette for some reason of his own, and therefore she decided to say nothing at all about it.
32. ^ '
She explained that she couldn't afford to remain in Egypt for any length of time, quite apart from the fact that she had a job to return to. She was secretary to the managing director of a firm of engineering consultants, and she had been granted a few weeks' leave of absence on the understanding that she was back in her office within a reasonable length of time.
Mr. Yusef said he understood the position and would see what could be done, but these matters were not settled overnight - beaming at her toothily - and it was not entirely up to him. There were other people involved... .Government officials, and one knew how long they took to deal with al- most anything. He was sure it was the same in England, and one had to exercise patience. And if it was a question of money to extend her stay he was sure an advance on the estate could be made to her, and indeed he was quite sure the late Miss Romilly Styles would have wished it. It seemed a pity that she should come all this way and not see as much of Egypt as was possible, particularly in view of me fact that her familly had established such a tradition with Egypt....
One might almost say they had made themselves a part of
Egypt!
He showed her his excellent teeth again, one or two of which had gold stoppings, and when she made it clear that she couldn't overstep her deadline - and although she was attracted by an advance she thought she had enough money to defray the costs of her modest holiday - he spread his hands and shrugged his shoulders, and said it was a great pity and perhaps she would change her mind.
He added jocularly that it was the prerogative of her sex, was it not?
She took her departure from his office with him bowing her out of the inner office, and even accompanying her across the floor of the outer office when he saw how charm
all! 33
ingly she smiled at him.
He assured her once more, with a good deal of impressement, that he was at her service at all times, and she mustn't hesitate to call on him.
Romilly emerged into the open air once more, and was glad that at least she had got that little bit of business over for the day. She found Mr. Yusuf slightly embarrassing to deal with, for once he had overcome his indifference to her arrival at the outset he had adopted an air of old-fashioned gallantry which was slightly alarming when accompanied by rolling eyes and constant lea
nings across the desk towards her. And the fact that he was fond of garlic had made itself noticeable as soon as she entered his office.
She dismissed Kalim and told him to pick her up at about two o'clock in the afternoon, when she had had a chance to provide herself with some lunch and see a little of the fascinating city the colourful life of which was flowing around her like a colourful tide.
She found an attractive restaurant where she had coffee and a sandwich, and then did a tour of the shops but by one o'clock she was glad to get out of the sun again, and looked around for another restaurant and the possibility of a cool drink.
In a wonderful patisserie where some of the largest chocolates and the richest and most succulent-looking cakes she had ever seen in her life were on sale, she was standing in front of an assortment of violet creams and fondants and other mouth-watering confectionery when a voice that was strangely familiar hailed her, softly, from behind.
"Why, hello. Miss Romilly Styles! Not the one I used to know, but a very pleasant successor!" Romilly spun round and her mouth fell open a little as she saw the man who had accosted her. "Why, you!" she exclaimed. 34
He made a slight face. He looked much the same as when she saw him last, walking through the garden of the House of the Seven Stars, away from her in the first clear light of day, except that he was no longer wearing a dinnerjacket, and instead his beautifully cut light grey lounge suit, worn with a pale blue shirt and a casual tie, struck her as being eminently suitable masculine wear for such a beautiful day, and became his tall, languid'elegance so well that the finished product actually filled her with somewhat extraordinary resentment for a few moments.
She stared at him hard, with some of the resentment flaming in her eyes, and he laughed suddenly.
"You are not altogether pleased to see me, no?" Although his English was perfect and suggested an English public school during his formative years, he had the very, very faintest trace of an accent which she could not place. Actually, not so much of an accent as a way of framing his sentences, which at times were not typically English. "Indeed, you make it painfully clear Aat at our last meeting I quite failed to impress you at all favourably. But. then I was caught in the unfortunate position of a burglar, wasn't I? And very likely you do not wish to be on friendly terms with burglars?"