"Since thou askest me that question, I would make thee change thy 'no'
into 'yes.' But do not force me to be harsh with thee, oh core of my
heart, oh soul of my soul! I tell thee fate has spoken. The sand has
spoken--sand gathered from among these dunes. It is for that reason in
part that I brought thee here."
"The sand-divining!" Victoria exclaimed. "Lella M'Barka told thee----"
"She told me not to wait. And her counsel was the counsel of my own
heart. Look, oh Rose, where the moon glitters on the sand--the sand that
twined thy life with mine. See how the crystals shape themselves like
little hands of Fatma; and they point from thee to me, from me to thee.
The desert has brought us together. The desert gives us to one another.
The desert will never let us part."
Victoria's eyes followed his pointing gesture. The sand-crystals
sparkled in the sunset and moonrise, like myriads of earthbound
fireflies. Their bright facets seemed to twinkle at her with cold, fairy
eyes, waiting to see what she would do, and she did not know. She did
not know at all what she would do.
XXXII
"Dost thou wish me to hate thee, Si Maieddine?" she asked.
"I do not fear thy hate. When thou belongest to me, I will know how to
turn it into love."
"Perhaps if I were a girl of thine own people thou wouldst know, but I
see now that thy soul and my soul are far apart. If thou art so wicked,
so treacherous, they will never be nearer together.
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