There was joy for everyone, for the Agha's relatives, and for each
man, woman and child in the zmala, mighty ones, or humble members of the
tribe, the Ouled-Serrin. There would be feasting, and after dark, to
give pleasure to the Roumia, the men would make the powder speak. It was
like a wedding; and best of all, an exciting rumour had gone round the
douar, concerning the foreign girl and the Agha's son, Si Maieddine.
The romance in Victoria's nature was stirred by her reception; by the
white-clad riders on their slender horses, and the wild "you-yous" of
the women and little girls. Maieddine saw her excitement and thrilled to
it. This was his great hour. All that had gone before had been leading
up to this day, and to the days to come, when they would be in the fiery
heart of the desert together, lost to all her friends whom he hated with
a jealous hatred. He helped M'Barka to descend from the carriage: then,
as she was received at the tent door by the Agha himself, Maieddine
forgot his self-restraint, and swung the girl down, with tingling hands
that clasped her waist, as if at last she belonged to him.
Half fearful of what he had done, lest she should take alarm at his
sudden change of manner, he studied her face anxiously as he set her
feet to the ground. But there was no cause for uneasiness. So far from
resenting the liberty he had taken after so many days of almost
ostentatious respect, Victoria was not even thinking of him, and her
indifference would have been a blow, if he had not been too greatly
relieved to be hurt by it.
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