He said he would gladly arrange everything. “Now, if you will excuse my leaving you, I will go and see my daughter, whom we all thought dead if, indeed, some worse fate had not befallen her.” Then he went out. “Well,” said I, as he went out, “Gobi Greeks are actualities, all right, and here we are. Perfectly good houses, mail shirts, _and_ a war. What are we going to do?” We took off our bandoliers and unslung our rifles. The kit we had carried up had been taken off us outside, and the men piled it by the beds. Forsyth buried his face and hands in the water, and got off some of the dust we had picked up in the caves. “Chip in, I think,” said he. “I like the look of these people, and, unless I’m mistaken, they’re a different crowd from your unpleasant friends down by the gate. I only saw one of those by faint moonlight, and he was somewhat the worse for wear, but he didn’t look at all the same as this lot.” He finished his toilet and smoothed his hair. “Glad I shaved this morning. I notice that most of the younger-looking men here shave.” He looked at his rifle. “Are we going to leave them here?” he asked. “Yes, we may as well. It would look very distrustful if we didn’t, and whoever is unpleasant in this country, these people will see us through for a cert.” “Thanks to your finding Aryenis. That was the best bit of luck we’ve had.” “She’s much too nice a girl to have left out in that filthy place,” said I, meaning it very much. I made myself as presentable as my travel-stained garments would allow, and Forsyth retied the bandage round my face. Then Stephnos came in and talked to us. He said Aryenis was changing into somewhat more feminine garments, so we should have to wait a little. He was brimful of excitement, and evidently itching to hear all that had happened. So, sitting on the low beds, we gave him an account of our adventures since we found his sister in the gate. He listened breathlessly to it all, putting in shrewd questions at intervals. His Greek was just like that of Aryenis, and we had no trouble in talking to him or understanding what he said. When we had finished, he led us through the hall into a room at the far end where a fire was burning, for the air was very chilly except in the sun. There were two of the men we had met outside standing there, who greeted us as we came in. They were some of Kyrlos’s officers. At the far end servants were arranging a meal on tables ranged round three sides of the room. A little later Aryenis and her father came in. But quite a different Aryenis.