"It gave me nerve to pop the question," he replied. "I told my little girl just now--for she is mine now--that she wanted a strong man to protect such a weak little darling." "And she?" "She said that she knew of no one, whom she liked, that cared enough for her to protect her. So I told her I did, and then--well, what followed was perfectly satisfactory." I congratulated him on his audacity, and then we spent the night in wandering about the first floor of the house, trying to find the ghost, but in vain; and when the morning came, and we all tried to laugh at the ghost, I felt that there was a deep, sinister meaning in it all, and wondered what the end would be. CHAPTER X THE COMING OF THE NIGHT Directly after breakfast I went away alone. I wanted to get rid of an awful weight which oppressed me. I walked rapidly, for the morning was cold. I had scarcely reached the park gates, however, when a hand touched me. I turned and saw Kaffar. "I hope your solitary walk is pleasant," he said, revealing his white teeth. "Thank you," I replied coldly. I thought he was going to leave me, but he kept close by my side, as if he wanted to say something. I did not encourage him to speak, however; I walked rapidly on in silence. "Temple Hall is a curious place," he said. "Very," I replied. "So different from Egypt--ah, so different. There the skies are bright, the trees are always green. There the golden sandhills stretch away, the palm trees wave, the Nile sweeps majestic. There the cold winds scarcely ever blow, and the people's hearts are warm." "I suppose so." "There are mysteries there, as in Temple Hall, Mr. Blake; but mysteries are sometimes of human origin." As he said this, he leered up into my face, as if to read my thoughts; but I governed my features pretty well, and thus, I think, deceived him. "Perhaps you know this?" he said. "No," I replied. "I am connected with no mysteries." "Not with the appearance of the ghost last night?" I looked at him in astonishment. The insinuation was so far from true that for the moment I was too surprised to speak. He gave a fierce savage laugh, and clapped his hands close against my face. "I knew I was right," he said; and then, before I had time to reply, he turned on his heel and walked away.