XVIII
True to his word, Si Maieddine was waiting in Madame Constant's hideoussitting-room, when Victoria returned to the hotel from Djenan el Djouad.
To-day he had changed his grey bournous for a white one, and all hisclothing was white, embroidered with silver.
"It is written," he began in Arabic, as he rose to welcome the girl,"that the messenger who brings good tidings shall come in white. Nowthou art prepared for happiness. Thou also hast chosen white; but evenin black, thy presence would bring a blessing, O Rose of the West."
The colour of the rose stained Victoria's cheeks, and Si Maieddine'seyes were warm as he looked at her. When she had given him her hand, hekissed his own, after touching it. "Be not alarmed, or think that I takea liberty, for it is but a custom of my people, in showing respect toman or woman," he explained. "Thou hast not forgotten thy promise ofsilence?"
"No, I spoke not a word of thee, nor of the hope thou gavest me lastnight," Victoria answered.
"It is well," he said. "Then I will keep nothing back from thee."
They sat down, Victoria on a repulsive sofa of scarlet plush, the Arabon a chair equally offensive in design and colour.
"Into the life of thy brother-in-law, there came a great trouble," hesaid. "It befell after the days when he was known by thee and thy sisterin Paris. Do not ask what it was, for it would grieve me to refuse arequest of thine. Shouldst thou ever hear this thing, it will not befrom my lips. But this I will say--though I have friends among theFrench, and am loyal to their salt which I have eaten, and I think theircountry great--France was cruel to Ben Halim. Were not Allah above all,his life might have been broken, but it was written that, after a timeof humiliation, a chance to win honour and glory such as he had neverknown, should be put in his way. In order to take this blessing and useit for his own profit and that of others, it was necessary that BenHalim--son of a warrior of the old fighting days, when nomads of highbirth were as kings in the Sahara, himself lately a captain of theSpahis, admired by women, envied of men--it was necessary that he shoulddie to the world."
"Then he is not really dead!" cried Victoria.
The face of Si Maieddine changed, and wore that look which already thegirl had remarked in Arab men she had passed among French crowds: a lookas if a door had shut behind the bright, open eyes; as if the soul weresuddenly closed.
"Thy brother-in-law was living when last I heard of him," Maieddineanswered, slowly.
"And my sister?"
"My cousin told me last night that Lella Saida was in good health somemonths ago when news came of her from a friend."
"They call her Saida!" murmured the girl, half sadly; for that Saideeshould tolerate such a change of name, seemed to signify some subtlealteration in her spirit. But she knew that "Lella" meant "Madame" inArab society.
"It is my cousin who spoke of the lady by that name. As for me, it isimpossible that I should know anything of her. Thou wishest above allthings to see thy sister?"
"Above all things. For more than nine years it has been the one greatwish of my life to go to her."
"It is a long journey. Thou wouldst have to go far--very far."
"What would it matter, if it were to the end of the world?"
"As well try to reach the place where she is, as though it were beyondwhere the world ends, unless thou wert guided by one who knew the way."
Victoria looked the Arab full in the face. "I have always been sure thatGod would lead me there, one day, soon or late," she said.
"Thy God is my God, and Mohammed is his Prophet, as thy Christ was alsoamong his Prophets. It is as thou sayest; Allah wills that thou shouldstmake this journey, for He has sent me into thy life at the moment of thyneed. I can take thee to thy sister's house, if thou wilt trust thyselfto me. Not alone--I would not ask that. My cousin will take care ofthee. She has her own reason for going on this great journey, a reasonwhich in its way is as strong as thine, for it concerns her life ordeath. She is a noble lady of my race, who should be a Princess ofTouggourt, for her grandfather was Sultan before the French conqueredthose warlike men of the desert, far south where Touggourt lies. LellaM'Barka Bent Djellab hears the voice of the Angel Azrail in her ears,yet her spirit is strong, and she believes it is written in the Bookthat she shall reach the end of her journey. This is the plan she and Ihave made; that thou leave the hotel to-day, towards evening, and drive(in a carriage which she will send)--to her house, where thou wilt spendthe night. Early in the morning of to-morrow she can be ready to go,taking thee with her. I shall guard thee, and we shall have an escortwhich she and I will provide. Dost thou consent? Because if the ideapleases thee, there are many arrangements which must be made quickly.And I myself will take all trouble from thy shoulders in the matter ofleaving the hotel. I am known and well thought of in Algiers and eventhe landlord here, as thou hast seen, has me in consideration, becausemy name is not strange to him. Thou needst not fear misconstruction ofthine actions, by any one who is here."
Si Maieddine added these arguments, seeing perhaps that Victoriahesitated before answering his question.
"Thou art generous, and I have no fear," she said at last, with a faintemphasis which he could read as he chose. "But, since thou hast my wordto be silent, surely thou wilt tell me where lies the end of the journeywe must take?"
"Even so, I cannot tell thee," Si Maieddine replied with decision whichVictoria felt to be unalterable. "It is not for lack of trust in thee, ORose, but for a reason which is not mine to explain. All I can do is topledge my honour, and the honour of a princess, to conduct thee loyallyto the house of thy sister's husband. If thou goest, it must be in thedress of an Arab lady, veiled from eyes which might spy upon thee; andso thou wilt be safe under the protection of my cousin."
"My thanks to thee and to her--I will go," Victoria said, after amoment's pause.
She was sure that Stephen Knight and his friend would prevent her fromleaving Algiers with strangers, above all, in the company of Arabs, ifthey could know what was in her mind. But they were unjustly prejudiced,she thought. Her brother-in-law was of Arab blood, therefore she couldnot afford to have such prejudices, even if she were so inclined; andshe must not hesitate before such a chance as Si Maieddine offered.
The great difficulty she had experienced in learning anything about BenHalim made it easy for her to believe that she could reach her sister'shusband only through people of his own race, who knew his secrets. Shewas ready to agree with Si Maieddine that his God and her God had senthim at the right moment, and she would not let that moment pass her by.
Others might say that she was wildly imprudent, that she wasdeliberately walking into danger; but she was not afraid. Always shetrusted to her star, and now it had brought her to Algiers, she wouldnot weaken in that trust. Common sense, in which one side of the girl'snature was not lacking, told her that this Arab might be deceiving her,that he might know no more of Ben Halim than she herself had told himyesterday; but she felt that he had spoken the truth, and feelings weremore to her than common sense. She would go to the house which SiMaieddine said was the house of his cousin, and if there she foundreason to doubt him, she had faith that even then no evil would beallowed to touch her.
At seven o'clock, Si Maieddine said, Lella M'Barka would send acarriage. It would then be twilight, and as most people were in theirhomes by that hour, nobody would be likely to see her leave the hotel.The shutters of the carriage would be closed, according to the custom ofArab ladies, and on entering the vehicle Victoria would find a negress,a servant of Lella M'Barka Bent Djellab. This woman would dress her in agandourah and a haick, while they were on their way to the house ofVictoria's hostess, and on stepping out she would have the appearance ofa lady of Algiers. Thus all trace of her would be lost, as one Arabcarriage was exactly like another.
Meanwhile, there would be time to pack, and write a letter whichVictoria was determined to write. To satisfy Si Maieddine that she wouldnot be indiscreet in any admission or allusion, she suggestedtran
slating for him every word she wrote into French or Arabic; but herefused this offer with dignity. She trusted him. He trusted her also.But he himself would post the letter at an hour too late for it to bedelivered while she was still in Algiers.
It was arranged that she should carry only hand-bags, as it would be tooconspicuous to load and unload boxes. Her large luggage could be storedat the hotel until she returned or sent, and as Lella M'Barka intendedto offer her an outfit suitable to a young Arab girl of noble birth, sheneed take from the hotel only her toilet things.
So it was that Victoria wrote to Stephen Knight, and was ready for thesecond stage of what seemed the one great adventure to which her wholelife had been leading up.