If the girl could be used as a pawn in his
great game, she had a certain importance, otherwise none--except that
her midge-like buzzings must not annoy him, or reach ears at a
distance.
Both men were naturally schemers, and loved scheming for its own sake,
but never had either pitted his wits against the other with less
intention of hiding his real mind. Each was in earnest, utterly sincere,
therefore not ignoble; and the bargain was struck between the two with
no deliberate villainy on either side. The marabout promised his wife's
sister to Maieddine with as little hesitation as a patriarch of Israel,
three thousand years ago, would have promised a lamb for the sacrificial
altar. He stipulated only that before the marriage Maieddine should
prove, not his willingness, but his ability to bring his father's people
into the field.
"Go to the douar," he said, "and talk with the chief men. Then bring
back letters from them, or send if thou wilt, and the girl shall be thy
wife. I shall indeed be gratified by the connection between thine
illustrious family and mine."
Maieddine had expected this, though he had hoped that his eloquence
might persuade the marabout to a more impulsive agreement. "I will do
what thou askest," he answered, "though it means delay, and delay is
hard to bear. When I passed through the douar, my father's chief caids
were on the point of leaving for Algiers, to do honour to the Governor
by showing themselves at the yearly ball.
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