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 toturn it into love."
"Perhaps if I were a girl of thine own people thou wouldst know, but Isee now that thy soul and my soul are far apart. If thou art so wicked,so treacherous, they will never be nearer together."
"The Koran does not teach us to believe that the souls of women are asours."
"I have read. And if there were no other reason than that, it would beenough to put a high wall between me and a man of thy race."
For the first time Maieddine felt anger against the girl. But it did notmake him love or want her the less.
"Thy sister did not feel that," he said, almost menacingly.
"Then the more do I feel it. Is it wise to use her as an argument?"
"I need no argument," he answered, sullenly. "I have told thee what isin my mind. Give me thy love, and thou canst bend me as thou wilt.Refuse it, and I will break thee. No! do not try to run from me. In aninstant I should have thee in my arms. Even if thou couldst reachM'Barka, of what use to grasp her dress and cry to her for help againstme? She would not give it. My will is law to her, as it must be to theeif thou wilt not learn wisdom, and how to hold me by a thread of silk, athread of thy silky hair. No one would listen to thee. Not Fafann, notthe men of the Soudan. It is as if we two were alone in the desert.Dost thou understand?"
"Thou hast made me understand. I will not try to run. Thou hast thepower to take me, since thou hast forgotten thy bond of honour, and thouart stronger than I. Yet will I not live to be thy wife, Si Maieddine.Wouldst thou hold a dead girl in thine arms?"
"I would hold thee dead or living. Thou wouldst be living at first; anda moment with thine heart beating against mine would be worth alifetime--perhaps worth eternity."
"Wouldst thou take me if--if I love another man?"
He caught her by the shoulders, and his hands were hard as steel."Darest thou to tell me that thou lovest a man?"
"Yes, I dare," she said. "Kill me if thou wilt. Since I have no earthlyhelp against thee, kill my body, and let God take my spirit where thoucanst never come. I love another man."
"Tell me his name, that I may find him."
"I will not. Nothing thou canst do will make me tell thee."
"It is that man who was with thee on the boat."
"I said I would not tell thee."
He shook her between his hands, so that the looped-up braids of her hairfell down, as they had fallen when she danced, and the ends loosenedinto curls. She looked like a pale child, and suddenly a greattenderness for her melted his heart. He had never known that feelingbefore, and it was very strange to him; for when he had loved, it hadbeen with passion, not with tenderness.
"Little white star," he said, "thou art but a babe, and I will notbelieve that any man has ever touched thy mouth with his lips. Am Iright?"
"Yes, because he does not love me. It is I who love him, that is all,"she answered naively. "I only knew how I really felt when thou saidstthou wouldst make me love thee, for I was so sure that never, nevercouldst thou do that. And I shall love the other man all my life, eventhough I do not see him again."
"Thou shalt never see him again. For a moment, oh Rose, I hated thee,and I saw thy face through a mist red as thy blood and his, which Iwished to shed. But thou art so young--so white--so beautiful. Thou hastcome so far with me, and thou hast been so sweet. There is a strangepity for thee in my breast, such as I have never known for any livingthing. I think it must be that thou hast magic in thine eyes. It is asif thy soul looked out at me through two blue windows, and I could falldown and worship, Allah forgive me! I knew no man had kissed thee. Andthe man thou sayest thou lovest is but a man in a dream. This is myhour. I must not let my chance slip by, M'Barka told me. Yet promise mebut one thing and I will hold thee sacred--I swear on the head of myfather."
"What is the one thing?"
"That if thy sister Lella Saida puts thine hand in mine, thou wilt be mywife."
The girl's face brightened, and the great golden dunes, silvering now inmoonlight, looked no longer like terrible waves ready to overwhelm her.She was sure of Saidee, as she was sure of herself.
"That I will promise thee," she said.
He looked at her thoughtfully. "Thou hast great confidence in thysister."
"Perfect confidence."
"And I----" he did not finish his sentence. "I am glad I did not waitlonger," he went on instead. "Thou knowest now that I love thee, thatthou hast by thy side a man and not a statue. And I have not let mychance slip by, because I have gained thy promise."
"If Saidee puts my hand in thine."
"It is the same thing."
"Thou dost not know my sister."
"But I know----" Again he broke off abruptly. There were things it werebetter not to say, even in the presence of one who would never be ableto tell of an indiscretion. "It is a truce between us?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Forget, then, that I frightened thee."
"Thou didst not frighten me. I did not know what to do, and I thought Imight have to die without seeing Saidee. Yet I was not afraid, Ithink--I hope--I was not afraid."
"Thou wilt not have to die without seeing thy sister. Now, more thanbefore, I shall be in haste to put thee in her charge. But thou wilt diewithout seeing again the face of that man whose name, which thou wouldstnot speak, shall be as smoke blown before the wind. Never shalt thou seehim on earth, and if he and I meet I will kill him."
Victoria shut her eyes, and pressed her hands over them. She felt verydesolate, alone with Maieddine among the dunes. She would not dare tocall Stephen now, lest he should hear and come. Nevertheless she couldnot be wholly unhappy, for it was wonderful to have learned what lovewas. She loved Stephen Knight.
"Thou wilt let me go back to M'Barka?" she said to Maieddine.
"I will take thee back," he amended. "Because I have thy promise."