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faintly gilded and shining modestly under the fierce rays of the sun。
At the foot of the village the ground was white with saltpetre; which
resembled a covering of new…fallen snow。 To right and left of it were
isolated groups of palms growing in threes and fours; like trees that
had formed themselves into cliques and set careful barriers of sand
between themselves and their despised brethren。 Here and there on the
grey sand dark patches showed where nomads had pitched their tents。
But there was no movement of human life。 No camels were visible。 No
guard dogs barked。 The noon held all things in its golden grip。
〃Boris!〃 Domini said; breaking a long silence。
〃Yes; Domini?〃
He turned towards her on the rug; stretching his long; thin body
lazily as if in supreme physical contentment。
〃You know that saying of the Arabs about forgetting everything in the
desert?〃
〃Yes; Domini; I know it。〃
〃How long shall we stay in this world of forgetfulness?〃
He lifted himself up on his elbow quickly; and fixed his eyes on hers。
〃How long!〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Butdo you wish to leave it? Are you tired of it?〃
There was a note of sharp anxiety in his voice。
〃I don't answer such a question;〃 she said; smiling at him。
〃Ah; then; why do you try to frighten me?〃
She put her hand in his。
〃How burnt you are!〃 she said。 〃You are like an Arab of the South。〃
〃Let me become more like one。 There's health here。〃
〃And peace; perfect peace。〃
He said nothing。 He was looking down now at the sand。
She laid her lips on his warm brown hand。
〃There's all I want here;〃 she added。
〃Let us stay here。〃
〃But some day we must go back; mustn't we?〃
〃Why?〃
〃Can anything be lifelongeven our honeymoon?〃
〃Suppose we choose that it shall be?〃
〃Can we choose such a thing? Is anybody allowed to choose to live
always quite happily without duties? Sometimes I wonder。 I love this
wandering life so much; I am so happy in it; that I sometimes think it
cannot last much longer。〃
He began to sift the sand through his fingers swiftly。
〃Duties?〃 he said in a low voice。
〃Yes。 Oughtn't we to do something presently; something besides being
happy?〃
〃What do you mean; Domini?〃
〃I hardly know; I don't know。 You tell me。〃
There was an urging in her voice; as if she wanted; almost demanded;
something of him。
〃You mean that a man must do some work in his life if he is to keep
himself a man;〃 he said; not as if he were asking a question。
He spoke reluctantly but firmly。
〃You know;〃 he added; 〃that I have worked hard all my life; hard like
a labourer。〃
〃Yes; I know;〃 she said。
She stroked his hand; that was worn and rough; and spoke eloquently of
manual toil it had accomplished in the past。
〃I know。 Before we were married; that day when we sat in the garden;
you told me your life and I told you mine。 How different they have
been!〃
〃Yes;〃 he said。
He lit a cigar and watched the smoke curling up into the gold of the
sunlit atmosphere。
〃Mine in the midst of the world and yours so far away from it。 I often
imagine that little place; El Krori; the garden; your brother; your
twin…brother Stephen; that one…eyed Arab servantwhat was his name?〃
〃El Magin。〃
〃Yes; El Magin; who taught you to play Cora and to sing Arab songs;
and to eat cous…cous with your fingers。 I can almost see Father Andre;
from whom you learnt to love the Classics; and who talked to you of
philosophy。 He's dead too; isn't he; like your mother?〃
〃I don't know whether Pere Andre is dead。 I have lost sight of him;〃
Androvsky said。
He still looked steadily at the rings of smoke curling up into the
golden air。 There was in his voice a sound of embarrassment。 She
guessed that it came from the consciousness of the pain he must have
caused the good priest who had loved him when he ceased from
practising the religion in which he had been brought up。 Even to her
he never spoke frankly on religious subjects; but she knew that he had
been baptised a Catholic and been educated for a time by priests。 She
knew; too; that he was no longer a practising Catholic; and that; for
some reason; he dreaded any intimacy with priests。 He never spoke
against them。 He had scarcely ever spoken of them to her。 But she
remembered his words in the garden; 〃I do not care for priests。〃 She
remembered; too; his action in the tunnel on the day of his arrival in
Beni…Mora。 And the reticence that they both preserved on the subject
of religion; and its reason; were the only causes of regret in this
desert dream of hers。 Even this regret; too; often faded in hope。 For
in the desert; the Garden of Allah; she had it borne in upon her that
Androvsky would discover what he must surely secretly be seekingthe
truth that each man must find for himself; truth for him of the
eventual existence in which the mysteries of this present existence
will be made plain; and of the Power that has fashioned all things。
And she was able to hope in silence; as women do for the men they
love。
〃Don't think I do not realise that you have worked;〃 she went on after
a pause。 〃You told me how you always cultivated the land yourself;
even when you were still a boy; that you directed the Spanish
labourers in the vineyards; thatyou have earned a long holiday。 But
should it last for ever?〃
〃You are right。 Well; let us take an oasis; let us become palm
gardeners like that Frenchman at Meskoutine。〃
〃And build ourselves an African house; white; with a terrace roof。〃
〃And sell our dates。 We can give employment to the Arabs。 We can
choose the poorest。 We can improve their lives。 After all; if we owe a
debt to anyone it is to them; to the desert。 Let us pay our debt to
the desert men and live in the desert。〃
〃It would be an ideal life;〃 she said with her eyes shining on his。
〃And a possible life。 Let us live it。 I could not bear to leave the
desert。 Where should we go?〃
〃Where should we go!〃 she repeated。
She was still looking at him; but now the expression of her eyes had
quite changed。 They had become grave; and examined him seriously with
a sort of deep inquiry。 He sat upon the Arab rug; leaning his back
against the wall of the traveller's house。
〃Why do you look at me like that; Domini?〃 he asked with a sudden
stirring of something that was like uneasiness。
〃I! I was wondering what you would like; what other life would suit
you。〃
〃Yes?〃 he said quickly。 〃Yes?〃
〃It's very strange; Boris; but I cannot connect you with anything but
the desert; or see you anywhere but in the desert。 I cannot even
imagine you among your vines in Tunisia。〃
〃They were not altogether mine;〃 he corrected; still with a certain
excitement which he evidently endeavoured to repress。 〃II had the
right; the duty of cultivating the land。〃
〃Well; however it was; you were always at work; you were responsible;
weren't you?〃
〃Yes。〃
〃I can't see you even in the vineyards or the wheat…fields。 Isn't it
strange?〃
She was always looking at him with the same deep and wholly
unselfconscious inquiry。
〃And as to London; Paris〃
Suddenly she burst into a little laugh and her gravity vanished。
〃I think you would ha