Nur-el-Din did not, it is true, tell Miss Mackwayte what
the silver box contained but the latter may have found out, at
least the dancer might suppose so; while Strangwise might think
the same. Therefore, both Strangwise and Nur-el-Din had an
interest in detaining Miss Mackwayte, and I think Strangwise
forestalled the dancer. When Nur-el-Din discovered it, both Rass
and her maid paid the penalty of their betrayal."
They walked once up and down the yard before Desmond replied.
"Francis," he said, "you remember Nur-el-Din's story--I told it
to you just as I had it from her."
"Perfectly," answered his brother.
"Well," Desmond went on deliberately, "I think that story gives
us the right measure of Nur-el-Din's, character. She may be vain,
she may be without morals, she may be weak, she may be an
adventuress, but she's not a murderess. If anything, she's a
victim!"
Francis laughed shortly.
"Victim be damned!" he cried. "Man alive," he went on, "how can
you talk such nonsense in face of the evidence, with this
bloody-minded woman's victims hardly cold yet? But, horrible as
these murders are, the private squabbles of this gang of spies
represent neither your interest nor mine in this case. For us the
fact remains that Nur-el-Din, besides being a monster of
iniquity, is the heart and soul and vitals of the whole
conspiracy!"
Jaded and nervous, Desmond felt a quick sting of resentment at
his brother's tone.
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