the garden of allah-第92节

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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　palaces！〃

Slowly　the　potentates　progressed　across　the　white　dunes　towards　the
city。　Shabah　wore　a　long　red　cloak。　His　brother　was　in　pink　and　gold；
with　white　billowing　trousers。　The　Caid　of　the　Nomads　was　in　green。
They　all　moved　with　a　large　and　conscious　majesty；　surrounded　by　their
obsequious　attendants。　Above　them　the　purple　sky　showed　a　bright
evening　star。　Near　it　was　visible　the　delicate　silhouette　of　the　young
moon。　Scattered　over　the　waste　rose　many　koubbahs；　grey　in　the　white；
with　cupolas　of　gypse。　Hundreds　of　dogs　were　barking　in　the　distance。
To　the　left；　on　the　vast；　rolling　slopes　of　sand；　glared　the
innumerable　fires　kindled　before　the　tents　of　the　Ouled　Nails。　Before
the　sleeping　tent　rose　the　minarets　and　the　gilded　cupolas　of　the　city
which　it　dominated　from　its　mountain　of　sand。　Behind　it　was　the
blanched　immensity　of　the　plain；　of　the　lonely　desert　from　which
Domini　and　Androvsky　had　come　to　face　this　barbaric　stir　of　life。　And
the　city　was　full　of　music；　of　tomtoms　throbbing；　of　bugles　blowing　in
the　Kasba；　of　pipes　shrieking　from　hidden　dwellings；　and　of　the　faint
but　multitudinous　voices　of　men；　carried　to　them　on　their　desolate　and
treeless　height　by　the　frail　wind　of　night　that　seemed　a　white　wind；
twin…brother　of　the　sands。

〃Let　us　go　a　step　or　two　towards　the　city；　Boris；〃　Domini　said；　as
their　guests　sank　magnificently　down　into　a　fold　of　the　dunes。

〃Towards　the　city！〃　he　answered。　〃Why　not？〃　He　glanced　behind　him　to
the　vacant；　noiseless　sands。

She　set　her　impulse　against　his　for　the　first　time。

〃No；　this　is　our　town　life；　our　Sahara　season。　Let　us　give　ourselves
to　it。　The　loneliness　will　be　its　antidote　some　day。〃

〃Very　well；　Domini；〃　he　answered。

They　went　a　little　way　towards　the　city；　and　stood　still　in　the　sand
at　the　edge　of　their　height。

〃Listen；　Boris！　Isn't　it　strange　in　the　night　all　this　barbaric　music？
It　excites　me。〃

〃You　are　glad　to　be　here。〃

She　heard　the　note　of　disappointment　in　his　voice；　but　did　not　respond
to　it。

〃And　look　at　all　those　fires；　hundreds　of　them　in　the　sand！〃

〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　wonderful；　but　the　solitudes　are　best。　This　is
not　the　heart　of　the　desert；　this　is　what　the　Arabs　call　it；　'The
belly　of　the　Desert。'　In　the　heart　of　the　desert　there　is　silence。〃

She　thought　of　the　falling　of　the　wind　when　the　Sahara　took　them；　and
knew　that　her　love　of　the　silence　was　intense。　Nevertheless；　to…night
the　other　part　of　her　was　in　the　ascendant。　She　wanted　him　to　share
it。　He　did　not。　Could　she　provoke　him　to　share　it？

〃Yet；　as　we　rode　in；　I　had　a　feeling　that　the　heart　of　the　desert　was
here；〃　she　said。　〃You　know　I　said　so。〃

〃Do　you　say　so　still？〃

〃The　heart；　Boris；　is　the　centre　of　life；　isn't　it？〃

He　was　silent。　She　felt　his　inner　feeling　fighting　hers。

〃To…night；〃　she　said；　putting　her　arm　through　his；　and　looking　towards
the　city。　〃I　feel　a　tremendous　sympathy　with　human　life　such　as　I
never　felt　before。　Boris；　it　comes　to　me　from　you。　Yes；　it　does。　It　is
born　of　my　love　for　you；　and　seems　to　link　me；　and　you　with　me；　to　all
these　strangers；　to　all　men　and　women；　to　everything　that　lives。　It　is
as　if　I　was　not　quite　human　before；　and　my　love　for　you　had　made　me
completely　human；　had　done　something　to　me　that　eveneven　my　love　for
God　had　not　been　able　to　do。〃

She　lowered　her　voice　at　the　last　words。　After　a　moment　she　added：

〃Perhaps　in　isolation；　even　with　you；　I　could　not　come　to
completeness。　Perhaps　you　could　not　in　isolation　even　with　me。　Boris；
I　think　it's　good　for　us　to　be　in　the　midst　of　life　for　a　time。〃

〃You　wish　to　remain　here；　Domini？〃

〃Yes；　for　a　time。〃

The　fatalistic　feeling　that　had　sometimes　come　upon　her　in　this　land
entered　into　her　at　this　moment。　She　felt；　〃It　is　written　that　we　are
to　remain　here。〃

〃Let　us　remain　here；　Domini；〃　he　said　quietly。

The　note　of　disappointment　had　gone　out　of　his　voice；　deliberately
banished　from　it　by　his　love　for　her；　but　she　seemed　to　hear　it；
nevertheless；　echoing　far　down　in　his　soul。　At　that　moment　she　loved
him　like　a　woman　he　had　made　a　lover；　but　also　like　a　woman　he　had
made　a　mother　by　becoming　a　child。

〃Thank　you；　Boris；〃　she　answered　very　quietly。　〃You　are　good　to　me。〃

〃You　are　good　to　me；〃　he　said；　remembering　the　last　words　of　Father
Roubier。　〃How　can　I　be　anything　else？〃

Directly　he　had　spoken　the　words　his　body　trembled　violently。

〃Boris；　what　is　it？〃　she　exclaimed；　startled。

He　took　his　arm　away　from　hers。

〃Thesethese　noises　of　the　city　in　the　night　coming　across　the　sand…
hills　are　extraordinary。　I　have　become　so　used　to　silence　that　perhaps
they　get　upon　my　nerves。　I　shall　grow　accustomed　to　them　presently。〃

He　turned　towards　the　tents；　and　she　went　with　him。　It　seemed　to　her
that　he　had　evaded　her　question；　that　he　had　not　wished　to　answer　it；
and　the　sense　sharply　awakened　in　her　by　a　return　to　life　near　a　city
made　her　probe　for　the　reason　of　this。　She　did　not　find　it；　but　in　her
mental　search　she　found　herself　presently　at　Mogar。　It　seemed　to　her
that　the　same　sort　of　uneasiness　which　had　beset　her　husband　at　Mogar
beset　him　now　more　fiercely　at　Amara；　that；　as　he　had　just　said；　his
nerves　were　being　tortured　by　something。　But　it　could　not　be　the
noises　from　the　city。

After　dinner　Batouch　came　to　the　tent　to　suggest　that　they　should　go
down　with　him　into　the　city。　Domini；　feeling　certain　that　Androvsky
would　not　wish　to　go；　at　once　refused；　alleging　that　she　was　tired。
Batouch　then　asked　Androvsky　to　go　with　him；　and；　to　Domini's
astonishment；　he　said　that　if　she　did　not　mind　his　leaving　her　for　a
short　time　he　would　like　a　stroll。

〃Perhaps；〃　he　said　to　her；　as　Batouch　and　he　were　starting；　〃perhaps
it　will　make　me　more　completely　human；　perhaps　there　is　something
still　to　be　done　that　even　you；　Domini；　have　not　accomplished。〃

She　knew　he　was　alluding　to　her　words　before　dinner。　He　stood　looking
at　her　with　a　slight　smile　that　did　not　suggest　happiness；　then　added：

〃That　link　you　spoke　of　between　us　and　these　strangers〃he　made　a
gesture　towards　the　city〃I　ought　perhaps　to　feel　it　more　strongly
than　I　do。　II　will　try　to　feel　it。〃

Then　he　turned　away；　and　went　with　Batouch　across　the　sand…hills；
walking　heavily。

As　Domini　watched　him　going　she　felt　chilled；　because　there　was
something　in　his　manner；　in　his　smile；　that　seemed　for　the　moment　to
set　them　apart　from　each　other；　something　she　did　not　understand。

Soon　Androvsky　disappeared　in　a　fold　of　the　sands　as　he　had
disappeared　in　a　fold　of　the　sands　at　Mogar；　not　long　before　De
Trevignac　came。　She　thought　of　Mogar　once　more；　steadily；　reviewing
mentallywith　the　renewed　sharpness　of　intellect　that　had　returned　to
her；　brought　by　contact　with　the　cityall　that　had　passed　there；　as
she　never　reviewed　it　before。

It　had　been　a　strange　episode。

She　began　to　walk　slowly　up　and　down　on　the　sand　before　the　tent。
Ouardi　came　to　walk　with　her；　but　she　sent　him　away。　Before　doing　so；
however；　something　moved　her　to　ask　him：

〃That　African　liqueur；　Ouardiyou　remember　that　you　brought　to　the
tent　at　Mogarhave　we　any　more　of　it？〃

〃The　monk's　liqueur；　Madame？〃

〃What　do　you　meanmonk's　liqueur？〃

〃It　was　invented　by　a　monk；　Madame；　and　is　sold　by　the　monks　of　El…
Largani。〃

〃Oh！　Have　we　any　more　of　it？〃

〃There　is　another　bottle；　Madame；　but　I　should　not　dare　to　bring　it
if〃

He　paused。

〃If　what；　Ouardi？〃

〃If　Monsieur　were　there。〃

Domini　was　on　the　point　of　asking　him　why；　but　she　checked　herself　and
told　him　to　leave　her。　Then　she　walked　up　and　down　once　more　on　the
sand。　She　was　thinking　now　of　the　broken　glass　on　the　ground　at
Androvsky's　feet　when　she　found　him　alone　in　the　tent　after　De
Trevignac　had　gone。　Ouardi's　words　made　her　wonder　whether　this
liqueur；　brought　to　celebrate　De　Trevignac's　presence　in　the　camp；　had
turned　the　conversation　upon　the　subject　of　the　religious　orders；
whether　Androvsky　had　perhaps　said　something　against　them　which　had
offended　De　Trevignac；　a　staunch　Catholic；　whether　there　had　been　a
quarrel　between　the　two　men　on　the　subject　of　religion。　It　was
possible。　She　remembered　De　Trevignac's　strange；　almost　mystical；
gesture　in　the　dawn；　following　his　look　of　horror　towards　the　tent
where　her　husband　lay　sleeping。

To…night　her　mindher　whole　naturefelt　terribly　alive。

She　tried　to　think　no　more　of　Mogar；　but　her　thoughts　centred　round
it；　linked　it　with　this　great　city；　whose　lights　shone　in　the　distance
below　her；　whose　music　came　to　her　from　afar　over　the　silence　of　the
sands。

Mogar　and　Amara；　what　had　they　to　do　with　one　another？　Leagues　of
desert　divided　them。　One　was　a　desolation；　the　other　was　crowded　with
men。　What　linked　them　together　in　her　mind？

Androvsky's　fear　of　boththat　was　the　link。　She　kept　on　thinking　of
the　glance　he　had　cast　at　the　watch…tower；　to　which　Trevignac　had　been
even　then　approaching；　although　they　knew　it　not。　De　Trevignac！　She
walked　faster　on　the　sand；　to　and　fro　before　the　tent。　Why　had　he
looked　at　the　tent　in　which