A whisper from below, where the whisperer stood invisible in the shadow at the foot of the wall, hailed her at once.
"Miss Harding," it said. "Miss Harding. I 'm here, directly below you."
"Hush." She had spoken in her ordinary tones. "Not so loud. It 's dangerous."
"Who is it?" she asked again, subduing her voice.
"Why--Kamis, of course." The answer came in a tone of surprise. "You expected me, did n't you? Your light was burning."
"Expected you? No," said Margaret "I didn't expect you; you ought n't to have come."
"But--" the voice was protesting; "my message. It was on the paper around the aloe plumes. I particularly told the fat Kafir woman to give you that, and she promised. If your light was burning, I 'd throw something up at your window, and if not, I 'd go away. That was it."
The night breeze came in at the tail of his words with a dry rustling of the dead vines.
The Kafir below uttered an angry exclamation which she did not catch.
"If only you don't mind," he said, then. "I got Paul's message from you and I had to try and see you."
"Yes," said Margaret. She could not see him at all; under the lee of the house the night was black, though at a hundred paces off she could make out the lie of the ground in the starlight. His whispering voice was akin to the night.
"I don't mind, of course," said Margaret. "But it 's too risky."
Further along the stoep there was a dim warmish glow through the red curtains of the study and a leak of faint light under the closed front door. The house was loopholed for unfriendly eyes and ears. There was no security under that masked battery for their privacy. At any moment Mrs. Jakes might prick up her ears and stand intent and triumphant to hear their strained whispers in cautious interchange. Margaret shrank from the thought of it.
"I only want a word," answered Kamis from the darkness. "I may not see you again. You won't let me drop without a word--after everything?"
Margaret hesitated. "Some one may pick up that paper and read your message and watch to see what happens. I couldn't bear any more trouble about it."
"No," agreed Kamis, then. "No--of course. I didn't think of that. I 'll say good-by now, then."
Margaret strained to see him, but the night hid him securely.