She would only drink it in water, and when she had done so, she had to slip off her glove again and dip her finger into the same glass that he might drink her own health as well. In spite of the shadow of trouble which hung over them they were very happy. A world of warm impulses coursed through their veins, and they could hardly permit themselves to part. It was sweet to stand by the window again and look down at the dazzling Nile. For them the old river flowed, for them it sang its sleepy song. They looked into each other’s eyes and smiled without speaking. It was just as if their hearts saw each other and were satisfied. At length she clasped her arms about his neck, and he felt the warm glow of her body. "You think that still, Gordon?" "What, dearest?" "That love is above everything?" "Everything in the world," he whispered, and then she kissed him of herself and nothing else mattered—nothing on earth or in heaven. *CHAPTER XIX* When Helena had gone the air of his room seemed to be more dumb and empty than it had ever been before; but the bell of the telephone rang immediately, and Hafiz spoke to him. Hafiz had just heard from his uncle that the Ulema were to meet at eight o’clock to consider what course they ought to adopt. The Chancellor was in favour of submission to superior force, but some of his colleagues of the reactionary party—the old stick-in-the-muds made in Mecca—not being able to believe the Government could be in earnest, were advocating revolt, even resistance. "Hadn’t you better go up to El Azhar to-night, Gordon, and tell them the Government means business? They’ll believe _you_, you know, and it may save riot, perhaps bloodshed." "I hadn’t intended to go there again, Hafiz, but if you think I can do any good——" "You can—I’m sure you can. Let me call for you at eight and we’ll go up together." "Can’t see why we shouldn’t.... But wait! Ishmael Ameer is in Cairo—will he be there, think you?" "Don’t know—should think it very likely." "Well, it can’t be helped. Eight o’clock, then! By-bye!" said Gordon, and with that he rang off and wrote to Helena, telling her what he was going to do. He was going to break his word to her again, but it was only in the interests of peace, and with the hope of preventing trouble. "Don’t suppose these people can influence me a hair’s-breadth, dearest," he wrote, "and above all don’t be angry."