Now
thou art prepared for happiness. Thou also hast chosen white; but even
in black, thy presence would bring a blessing, O Rose of the West."
The colour of the rose stained Victoria's cheeks, and Si Maieddine's
eyes were warm as he looked at her. When she had given him her hand, he
kissed his own, after touching it. "Be not alarmed, or think that I take
a liberty, for it is but a custom of my people, in showing respect to
man or woman," he explained. "Thou hast not forgotten thy promise of
silence?"
"No, I spoke not a word of thee, nor of the hope thou gavest me last
night," Victoria answered.
"It is well," he said. "Then I will keep nothing back from thee."
They sat down, Victoria on a repulsive sofa of scarlet plush, the Arab
on a chair equally offensive in design and colour.
"Into the life of thy brother-in-law, there came a great trouble," he
said. "It befell after the days when he was known by thee and thy sister
in Paris. Do not ask what it was, for it would grieve me to refuse a
request of thine. Shouldst thou ever hear this thing, it will not be
from my lips. But this I will say--though I have friends among the
French, and am loyal to their salt which I have eaten, and I think their
country great--France was cruel to Ben Halim. Were not Allah above all,
his life might have been broken, but it was written that, after a time
of humiliation, a chance to win honour and glory such as he had never
known, should be put in his way.
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