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the desert。
When Domini and Androvsky came out from the church they saw vaguely a
camel lying down before the door； bending its head and snarling
fiercely。 Upon its back was a palanquin of dark…red stuff； with a roof
of stuff stretched upon strong； curved sticks； and curtains which
could be drawn or undrawn at pleasure。 The desert men crowded about it
like eager phantoms in the wind； half seen in the driving mist of
sand。 Clinging to Androvsky's arm； Domini struggled forward to the
camel。 As she did so； Smain； unfolding for an instant his burnous；
pressed into her hands his mass of roses。 She thanked him with a smile
he scarcely saw and a word that was borne away upon the wind。 At
Larbi's lips she saw the little flute and his thick fingers fluttering
upon the holes。 She knew that he was playing his love…song for her；
but she could not hear it except in her heart。 The perfume…seller
sprinkled her gravely with essence； and for a moment she felt as if
she were again in his dark bazaar； and seemed to catch among the
voices of the storm the sound of men muttering prayers to Allah as in
the mosque of Sidi…Zazan。
Then she was in the palanquin with Androvsky close beside her。
At this moment Batouch took hold of the curtains of the palanquin to
draw them close； but she put out her hand and stopped him。 She wanted
to see the last of the church； of the tormented gardens she had learnt
to love。
He looked astonished； but yielded to her gesture； and told the camel…
driver to make the animal rise to its feet。 The driver took his stick
and plied it； crying out； 〃A…ah！ A…ah！〃 The camel turned its head
towards him； showing its teeth； and snarling with a sort of dreary
passion。
〃A…ah！〃 shouted the driver。 〃A…ah！ A…ah！〃
The camel began to get up。
As it did so； from the shrouded group of desert men one started
forward to the palanquin； throwing off his burnous and gesticulating
with thin naked arms； as if about to commit some violent act。 It was
the sand…diviner。 Made fantastic and unreal by the whirling sand
grains； Domini saw his lean face pitted with small…pox； his eyes；
blazing with an intelligence that was demoniacal； fixed upon her； the
long wound that stretched from his cheek to his forehead。 The pleading
that had been mingled with the almost tyrannical command of his
demeanour had vanished now。 He looked ferocious； arbitrary； like a
savage of genius full of some frightful message of warning or rebuke。
As the camel rose he cried aloud some words in Arabic。 Domini heard
his voice； but could not understand the words。 Laying his hands on the
stuff of the palanquin he shouted again； then took away his hands and
shook them above his head towards the desert； still staring at Domini
with his fanatical eyes。
The wind shrieked； the sand grains whirled in spirals about his body；
the camel began to move away from the church slowly towards the
village。
〃A…ah！〃 cried the camel…driver。 〃A…ah！〃
In the storm his call sounded like a wail of despair。
CHAPTER XVII
As the voice of the Diviner fainted away on the wind； and the vision
of his wounded face and piercing eyes was lost in the whirling sand
grains； Androvsky stretched out his hand and drew together the heavy
curtains of the palanquin。 The world was shut out。 They were alone for
the first time as man and wife； moving deliberately on this beast they
could not see； but whose slow and monotonous gait swung them gently to
and fro； out from the last traces of civilisation into the life of the
sands。 With each soft step the camel took they went a little farther
from Beni…Mora； came a little nearer to that liberty of which Domini
sometimes dreamed； to the smiling eyes and the lifted spheres of fire。
She shut her eyes now。 She did not want to see her husband or to touch
his hand。 She did not want to speak。 She only wanted to feel in the
uttermost depths of her spirit this movement； steady and persistent；
towards the goal of her earthly desires； to realise absolutely the
marvellous truth that after years of lovelessness； and a dreaminess
more benumbing than acute misery； happiness more intense than any she
had been able to conceive of in her moments of greatest yearning was
being poured into her heart； that she was being taken to the place
where she would be with the one human being whose presence blotted out
even the memory of the false world and gave to her the true。 And
whereas in the dead years she had sometimes been afraid of feeling too
much the emptiness and the desolation of her life； she was now afraid
of feeling too little its fulness and its splendour； was afraid of
some day looking back to this superb moment of her earthly fate； and
being conscious that she had not grasped its meaning till it was gone；
that she had done that most terrible of all thingsrealised that she
had been happy to the limits of her capacity for happiness only when
her happiness was numbered with the past。
But could that ever be？ Was Time； such Time as this； not Eternity？
Could such earthly things as this intense joy ever have been and no
longer be？ It seemed to her that it could not be so。 She felt like one
who held Eternity's hand； and went out with that great guide into the
endlessness of supreme perfection。 For her； just then； the Creator's
scheme was rounded to a flawless circle。 All things fell into order；
stars and men； the silent growing things； the seas； the mountains and
the plains； fell into order like a vast choir to obey the command of
the canticle： Benedicite； omnia opera！〃
〃Bless ye the Lord！〃 The roaring of the wind about the palanquin
became the dominant voice of this choir in Domini's ears。
〃Bless ye the Lord！〃 It was obedient； not as the slave； but as the
free will is obedient； as her heart； which joined its voice with this
wind of the desert was obedient； because it gloriously chose with all
its powers； passions； aspirations to be so。 The real obedience is only
love fulfilling its last desire； and this great song was the
fulfilling of the last desire of all created things。 Domini knew that
she did not realise the joy of this moment of her life now when she
felt no longer that she was a woman； but only that she was a living
praise winging upward to God。
A warm； strong hand clasped hers。 She opened her eyes。 In the dim
twilight of the palanquin she saw the darkness of Androvsky's tall
figure sitting in the crouched attitude rendered necessary by the
peculiar seat； and swaying slightly to the movement of the camel。 The
light was so obscure that she could not see his eyes or clearly
discern his features； but she felt that he was gazing at her shadowy
figure； that his mind was passionately at work。 Had he； too； been
silently praising God for his happiness； and was he now wishing the
body to join in the soul's delight？
She left her hand in his passively。 The sense of her womanhood； lost
for a moment in the ecstasy of worship； had returned to her； but with
a new and tremendous meaning which seemed to change her nature。
Androvsky forcibly pressed her hand with his； let it go； then pressed
it again； repeating the action with a regularity that seemed suggested
by some gui