Shall I stop, or go on?"
"Go on."
"I see another chance to grasp thy wish. This time thou stretchest out
thine hand. I see thee, in a great house--the house of one thou knowest,
whose name I may not speak. Thou stretchest out thine hand. The chance
is given thee----"
"What then?"
"Then--I cannot tell thee, what then. Thou must not ask. My eyes are
clouded with sleep. Come Ourieda, it is late. Let us go to our tent."
"No," said Maieddine. "Ourieda may go, but not thou."
Victoria rose quickly and lightly from among the jackal skins and
Touareg cushions which Maieddine had provided for her comfort. She bade
him good night, and with all his old calm courtesy he kissed his hand
after it had pressed hers. But there was a fire of anger or impatience
in his eyes.
Fafann was in the tent, waiting to put her mistress to bed, and to help
the Roumia if necessary. The mattresses which had come rolled up on the
brown mule's back, had been made into luxurious looking beds, covered
with bright-coloured, Arab-woven blankets, beautiful embroidered sheets
of linen, and cushions slipped into fine pillow-cases. Folding frames
draped with new mosquito nettings had been arranged to protect the
sleepers' hands and faces; and there was a folding table on which stood
French gilt candlesticks and a glass basin and water-jug, ornamented
with gilded flowers; just such a basin and jug as Victoria had seen in
the curiosity-shop of Mademoiselle Soubise.
Pages:
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360