"
Hardly were the words out of her mouth, when Leo turned round and
stretched out his arms, yawned, opened his eyes, and, perceiving a
female form bending over him, threw his arms round her and kissed her,
mistaking her, perhaps, for Ustane. At any rate, he said, in Arabic,
"Hullo, Ustane, why have you tied your head up like that? Have you got
the toothache?" and then, in English, "I say, I'm awfully hungry. Why,
Job, you old son of a gun, where the deuce have we got to now--eh?"
"I am sure I wish I knew, Mr. Leo," said Job, edging suspiciously past
Ayesha, whom he still regarded with the utmost disgust and horror, being
by no means sure that she was not an animated corpse; "but you mustn't
talk, Mr. Leo, you've been very ill, and given us a great deal of
hanxiety, and, if this lady," looking at Ayesha, "would be so kind as to
move, I'll bring you your soup."
This turned Leo's attention to the "lady," who was standing by in
perfect silence. "Hullo!" he said; "that is not Ustane--where is
Ustane?"
Then, for the first time, Ayesha spoke to him, and her first words were
a lie.
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