"
"Take care! Thou enterest a dangerous path," said the old man.
"Yet often I have thought of entering there, before I saw this girl's
face."
"There might be a great reward in this life, and in the life beyond. Yet
once the first step is taken, it is irrevocable. In any case, commit me
to nothing with him to whom thou goest. He is eaten up with zeal. He is
a devouring fire--and all is fuel for that fire."
"I will commit thee to nothing without thy full permission, O my
father."
"And for thyself, think twice before thou killest the sheep. Remember
our desert saying. 'Who kills a sheep, kills a bee. Who kills a bee,
kills a palm, and who kills a palm, kills seventy prophets.'"
"I would give my sword to the prophets to aid them in killing those who
are not prophets."
"Thou art faithful. Yet let the rain of reason fall on thy head and on
thine heart, before thou givest thy sword into the hand of him who waits
thine answer."
"Thine advice is of the value of many dates, even of the _deglet nour_,
the jewel date, which only the rich can eat."
The old man laid his hand, still strong and firm, on his son's shoulder,
and together they went into the great tent, that part of it where the
women were, for all were closely related to them, excepting the Roumia,
who had been received as a daughter of the house.
* * * * * * *
When it was evening, the douar feasted, in honour of the guests who had
come to the _tente sultane_.
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