the garden of allah-第91节

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trays　of　loaves　upon　their　heads。　From　the　low　and　smoky　arcades　to
right　and　left　came　the　reiterated　grunt　of　negroes　pounding　coffee。　A
fanatic　was　roaring　out　his　prayers。　Arabs　in　scarlet　and　blue　cloaks
passed　by　to　the　Bain　Maure；　under　whose　white　and　blue　archway
lounged　the　Kabyle　masseurs　with　folded；　muscular　arms。　A　marabout；
black　as　a　coal；　rode　on　a　white　horse　towards　the　great　mosque；
followed　by　his　servant　on　foot。

Native　soldiers　went　by　to　the　Kasba　on　the　height；　or　strolled　down
towards　the　Cafes　Maures　smoking　cigarettes。　Circles　of　grave　men　bent
over　card　games；　dominoes　and　draughtscalled　by　the　Arabs　the
Ladies'　Game。　Khodjas　made　their　way　with　dignity　towards　the　Bureau
Arabe。　Veiled　women；　fat　and　lethargic；　jingling　with　ornaments；
waddled　through　the　arches　of　the　arcades；　carrying　in　their　painted
and　perspiring　hands　blocks　of　sweetmeats　which　drew　the　flies。
Children　played　in　the　dust　by　little　heaps　of　refuse；　which　they
stirred　up　into　clouds　with　their　dancing；　naked　feet。　In　front；　as　if
from　the　first　palms　of　the　oasis；　rose　the　roar　of　beaten　drums　from
the　negroes'　quarter；　and　from　the　hill…top　at　the　feet　of　the
minarets　came　the　fierce　and　piteous　noise　that　is　the　/leit…motif/　of
the　desert；　the　multitudinous　complaining　of　camels　dominating　all
other　sounds。

As　Domini　and　Androvsky　rode　into　this　whirlpool　of　humanity；　above
which　the　sky　was　red　like　a　great　wound；　it　flowed　and　eddied　round
them；　making　them　its　centre。　The　arrival　of　a　stranger…woman　was　a
rare；　if　not　an　unparalleled；　event　in　Amara；　and　Batouch　had　been
very　busy　in　spreading　the　fame　of　his　mistress。

〃Madame　should　dismount；〃　said　Batouch。　〃Ali　will　take　the　horses；　and
I　will　escort　Madame　and　Monsieur　up　the　hill　to　the　place　of　the
fountain。　Shabah　will　be　there　to　greet　Madame。〃

〃What　an　uproar！〃　Domini　exclaimed；　half　laughing；　half　confused。　〃Who
on　earth　is　Shabah？〃

〃Shabah　is　the　Caid　of　Amara；〃　replied　Batouch　with　dignity。　〃The
greatest　man　of　the　city。　He　awaits　Madame　by　the　fountain。〃　Domini
cast　a　glance　at　Androvsky。

〃Well？〃　she　said。

He　shrugged　his　shoulders　like　a　man　who　thinks　strife　useless　and　the
moment　come　for　giving　in　to　Fate。

〃The　monster　has　opened　his　jaws　for　us；〃　he　said；　forcing　a　laugh。
〃We　had　better　walk　in；　I　suppose。　ButO　Domini！the　silence　of　the
wastes！〃

〃We　shall　know　it　again。　This　is　only　for　the　moment。　We　shall　have
all　its　joy　again。〃

〃Who　knows？〃　he　said；　as　he　had　said　when　they　were　riding　up　the　sand
slope。　〃Who　knows？〃

Then　they　got　off　their　horses　and　were　taken　by　the　crowd。



CHAPTER　XXII

The　tumult　of　Amara　waked　up　in　Domini　the　town…sense　that　had　been
slumbering。　All　that　seemed　to　confuse；　to　daze；　to　repel　Androvsky；
even　to　inspire　him　with　fear；　the　noise　of　the　teeming　crowds；　their
perpetual　movement；　their　contact；　startled　her　into　a　vividness　of
life　and　apprehension　of　its　various　meanings；　that　sent　a　thrill
through　her。　And　the　thrill　was　musical　with　happiness。　To　the　sad　a
great　vision　of　human　life　brings　sadness　because　they　read　into　the
hearts　of　others　their　own　misery。　But　to　the　happy　such　a　vision
brings　exultation；　for　everywhere　they　find　dancing　reflections　of
their　own　joy。　Domini　had　lived　much　in　crowds；　but　always　she　had
been　actively　unhappy；　or　at　least　coldly　dreary　in　them。　Now；　for　the
first　time；　she　was　surrounded　by　masses　of　fellow…beings　in　her
splendid　contentment。　And　the　effect　of　this　return；　as　it　were；　to
something　like　the　former　material　conditions　of　her　life；　with　the
mental　and　affectional　conditions　of　it　transformed　by　joy；　was
striking　even　to　herself。　Suddenly　she　realised　to　the　full　her　own
humanity；　and　the　living　warmth　of　sympathy　that　is　fanned　into　flame
in　a　human　heart　by　the　presence　of　human　life　with　its　hopes；
desires；　fears；　passions；　joys；　that　leap　to　the　eye。　Instead　of
hating　this　fierce　change　from　solitude　with　the　man　she　loved　to　a
crowd　with　the　man　she　loved　she　rejoiced　in　it。　Androvsky　was　the
cause　of　both　her　joys；　joy　in　the　waste　and　joy　in　Amara；　but　while
he　shared　the　one　he　did　not　share　the　other。

This　did　not　surprise　her　because　of　the　conditions　in　which　he　had
lived。　He　was　country…bred　and　had　always　dwelt　far　from　towns。　She
was　returning　to　an　old　experienceold；　for　the　London　crowd　and　the
crowd　of　Amara　were　both　crowds　of　men；　however　differentwith　a　mind
transformed　by　happiness。　To　him　the　experience　was　new。　Something
within　her　told　her　that　it　was　necessary；　that　it　had　been　ordained
because　he　needed　it。　The　recalled　town…sense；　with　its　sharpness　of
observation；　persisted。　As　she　rode　in　to　Amara　she　had　seemed　to
herself　to　be　reading　Androvsky　with　an　almost　merciless　penetration
which　yet　she　could　not　check。　Now　she　did　not　wish　to　check　it；　for
the　penetration　that　is　founded　on　perfect　love　can　only　yield　good
fruit。　It　seemed　to　her　that　she　was　allowed　to　see　clearly　for
Androvsky　what　he　could　not　see　himself；　almost　as　the　mother　sees　for
the　child。　This　contact　with　the　crowds　of　Amara　was；　she　thought；　one
of　the　gifts　the　desert　made　to　him。　He　did　not　like　it。　He　wished　to
reject　it。　But　he　was　mistaken。　For　the　moment　his　vision　was　clouded；
as　our　vision　for　ourselves　so　often　is。　She　realised　this；　and；　for
the　first　time　since　the　marriage　service　at　Beni…Mora；　perhaps　seemed
to　be　selfish。　She　opposed　his　wish。　Hitherto　there　had　never　been　any
sort　of　contest　between　them。　Their　desires；　like　their　hearts；　had
been　in　accord。　Now　there　was　not　a　contest；　for　Androvsky　yielded　to
Domini's　preference；　when　she　expressed　it；　with　a　quickness　that　set
his　passion　before　her　in　a　new　and　beautiful　light。　But　she　knew
that；　for　the　moment；　they　were　not　in　accord。　He　hated　and　dreaded
what　she　encountered　with　a　vivid　sensation　of　sympathy　and　joy。

She　felt　that　there　was　something　morbid　in　his　horror　of　the　crowd；
and　the　same　strength　of　her　nature　said　to　her；　〃Uproot　it！〃

Their　camp　was　pitched　on　the　sand…hills；　to　the　north　of　the　city
near　the　French　and　Arab　cemeteries。　They　reached　it　only　when
darkness　was　falling；　going　out　of　the　city　on　foot　by　the　great　wall
of　dressed　stone　which　enclosed　the　Kasba　of　the　native　soldiers；　and
ascending　and　descending　various　slopes　of　deep　sand；　over　which　the
airs　of　night　blew　with　a　peculiar　thin　freshness　that　renewed
Domini's　sense　of　being　at　the　end　of　the　world。　Everything　here
whispered　the　same　message；　said；　〃We　are　the　denizens　of　far…away。〃

In　their　walk　to　the　camp　they　were　accompanied　by　a　little
procession。　Shabah；　the　Caid　of　Amara；　a　shortish　man　whose　immense
dignity　made　him　almost　gigantic；　insisted　upon　attending　them　to　the
tents；　with　his　young　brother；　a　pretty；　libertine　boy　of　sixteen；　the
brother's　tutor；　an　Arab　black　as　a　negro　but　without　the　negro's　look
of　having　been　freshly　oiled；　and　two　attendants。　To　them　joined
himself　the　Caid　of　the　Nomads；　a　swarthy　potentate　who　not　only
looked；　but　actually　was；　immense；　his　four　servants；　and　his　uncle；　a
venerable　person　like　a　shepherd　king。　These　worthies　surrounded
Domini　and　Androvsky；　and　behind　streamed　the　curious；　the　envious；
the　greedy　and　the　desultory　Arabs；　who　follow　in　the　trail　of　every
stranger；　hopeful　of　the　crumbs　that　are　said　to　fall　from　the　rich
man's　table。　Shabah　spoke　French　and　led　the　conversation；　which　was
devoted　chiefly　to　his　condition　of　health。　Some　years　before　an
attempt　had　been　made　upon　his　life　by　poison；　and　since　that　time；　as
he　himself　expressed　it；　his　stomach　had　been　〃perturbed　as　a　guard
dog　in　the　night　when　robbers　are　approaching。〃　All　efforts　to　console
or　to　inspire　him　with　hope　of　future　cure　were　met　with　a　stern
hopelessness；　a　brusque　certainty　of　perpetual　suffering。　The　idea
that　his　stomach　could　again　know　peace　evidently　shocked　and
distressed　him；　and　as　they　all　waded　together　through　the　sand；
pioneered　by　the　glorified　Batouch；　Domini　was　obliged　to　yield　to　his
emphatic　despair；　and　to　join　with　him　in　his　appreciation　of　the
perpetual　indigestion　which　set　him　apart　from　the　rest　of　the　world
like　some　God　within　a　shrine。　The　skittish　boy；　his　brother；　who　wore
kid　gloves；　cast　at　her　sly　glances　of　admiration　which　asked　for　a
return。　The　black　tutor　grinned。　And　the　Caid　of　the　Nomads　punctuated
their　progress　with　loud　grunts　of　heavy　satisfaction；　occasionally
making　use　of　Batouch　as　interpreter　to　express　his　hopes　that　they
would　visit　his　palace　in　the　town；　and　devour　a　cous…cous　on　his
carpet。

When　they　came　to　the　tents　it　was　necessary　to　entertain　these
personages　with　coffee；　and　they　finally　departed　promising　a　speedy
return；　and　full　of　invitations；　which　were　cordially　accepted　by
Batouch　on　his　employer's　behalf　before　either　Domini　or　Androvsky　had
time　to　say　a　word。

As　the　/cortege/　disappeared　over　the　sands　towards　the　city　Domini
burst　into　a　little　laugh；　and　drew　Androvsky　out　to　the　tent　door　to
see　them　go。

〃Society　in　the　sands！〃　she　exclaimed　gaily。　〃Boris；　this　is　a　new
experience。　Look　at　our　guests　making　their　way　to　their