the garden of allah-第133章

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Arabs　were　visible。　The　desert　seemed　utterly　empty；　given　over；
naked；　to　the　dominion　of　the　sun。　While　they　stood　there　the　nasal
voice　of　the　Mueddin　rose　from　the　minaret　of　the　mosque　of　Beni…Mora；
uttered　its　fourfold　cry；　and　died　away。

〃Boris；〃　Domini　said；　〃that　is　for　the　Arabs；　but　for　us；　too；　for　we
belong　to　the　garden　of　Allah　as　they　do；　perhaps　even　more　than
they。〃

〃Yes；　Domini。〃

She　remembered　how；　long　ago；　Count　Anteoni　had　stood　there　with　her
and　repeated　the　words　of　the　angel　to　the　Prophet；　and　she　murmured
them　now：

〃O　thou　that　art　covered；　arise；　and　magnify　thy　Lord；　and　purify　thy
clothes；　and　depart　from　uncleanness。〃

Then；　standing　side　by　side；　they　prayed；　looking　at　the　desert。



CHAPTER　XXX

In　the　evening　of　that　day　they　left　Beni…Mora。

Domini　wished　to　go　quietly；　but；　knowing　the　Arabs；　she　feared　it
would　be　impossible。　Nevertheless；　when　she　paid　Batouch　in　the　hotel
and　thanked　him　for　all　his　services；　she　said：

〃We'll　say　adieu　here；　Batouch。〃

The　poet　displayed　a　large　surprise。

〃But　I　will　accompany　Madame　to　the　station。　I　will〃

〃It　is　not　necessary。〃

Batouch　looked　offended　but　obstinate。　His　ample　person　became　almost
rigid。

〃If　I　am　not　at　the　station；　Madame；　what　will　Hadj　think；　and　Ali；
and　Ouardi；　and〃

〃They　will　be　there？〃

〃Of　course；　Madame。　Where　else　should　they　be？　Does　Madame　wish　to
leave　us　like　a　thief　in　the　night；　or　like〃

〃No；　no；　Batouch。　I　am　very　grateful　to　you　all；　but　especially　to
you。〃

Batouch　began　to　smile。

〃Madame　has　entered　into　our　hearts　as　no　other　stranger　has　ever
done；〃　he　remarked。　〃Madame　understands　the　Arabs。　We　shall　all　come
to　say　/au　revoir/　and　to　wish　Madame　and　Monsieur　a　happy　journey。〃

For　the　moment　the　irony　of　her　situation　struck　Domini　so　forcibly
that　she　could　say　nothing。　She　only　looked　at　Batouch　in　silence。

〃What　is　it？　But　I　know。　Madame　is　sad　at　leaving　the　desert；　at
leaving　Beni…Mora。〃

〃Yes；　Batouch。　I　am　sad　at　leaving　Beni…Mora。〃

〃But　Madame　will　return？〃

〃Who　knows？〃

〃I　know。　The　desert　has　a　spell。　He　who　has　once　seen　the　desert　must
see　it　again。　The　desert　calls　and　its　voice　is　always　heard。　Madame
will　hear　it　when　she　is　far　away；　and　some　day　she　will　feel；　'I　must
come　back　to　the　land　of　the　sun　and　to　the　beautiful　land　of
forgetfulness。'〃

〃I　shall　see　you　at　the　station；　Batouch；〃　Domini　said　quickly。　〃Good…
bye　till　then。〃

The　train　for　Tunis　started　at　sundown；　in　order　that　the　travellers
might　avoid　the　intense　heat　of　the　day。　All　the　afternoon　they　kept
within　doors。　The　Arabs　were　sleeping　in　dark　rooms。　The　gardens　were
deserted。　Domini　could　not　sleep。　She　sat　near　the　French　window　that
opened　on　to　the　verandah　and　said　a　silent　good…bye　to　life。　For　that
was　what　she　feltthat　life　was　leaving　her；　life　with　its　intensity；
its　fierce　meaning。　She　had　come　out　of　a　sort　of　death　to　find　life
in　Beni…Mora；　and　now　she　felt　that　she　was　going　back　again　to
something　that　would　be　like　death。　After　her　strife　there　came　a
numbness　of　the　spirit；　a　heavy　dullness。　Time　passed　and　she　sat
there　without　moving。　Sometimes　she　looked　at　the　trunks　lying　on　the
floor　ready　for　the　journey；　at　the　labels　on　which　was　written　〃Tunis
/via/　Constantine。〃　And　then　she　tried　to　imagine　what　it　would　be
like　to　travel　in　the　train　after　her　long　travelling　in　the　desert；
and　what　it　would　be　like　to　be　in　a　city。　But　she　could　not。　The　heat
was　intense。　Perhaps　it　affected　her　mind　through　her　body。　Faintly；
far　down　in　her　mind　and　heart；　she　knew　that　she　was　wishing；　even
longing；　to　realise　all　that　these　last　hours　in　Beni…Mora　meant；　to
gather　up　in　them　all　the　threads　of　her　life　and　her　sensations
there；　to　survey；　as　from　a　height；　the　panorama　of　the　change　that
had　come　to　her　in　Africa。　But　she　was　frustrated。

The　hours　fled；　and　she　remained　cold；　listless。　Often　she　was　hardly
thinking　at　all。　When　the　Arab　servant　came　in　to　tell　her　that　it　was
time　to　start　for　the　station　she　got　up　slowly　and　looked　at　him
vaguely。

〃Time　to　go　already？〃　she　asked。

〃Yes；　Madame。　I　have　told　Monsieur。〃

〃Very　well。〃

At　this　moment　Androvsky　came　into　the　room。

〃The　carriage　is　waiting；〃　he　said。

She　felt　almost　as　if　a　stranger　was　speaking　to　her。

〃I　am　ready；〃　she　said。

And　without　looking　round　the　room　she　went　downstairs　and　got　into
the　carriage。

They　drove　to　the　station　without　speaking。　She　had　not　seen　Father
Roubier。　Androvsky　took　the　tickets。　When　they　came　out　upon　the
platform　they　found　there　a　small　crowd　of　Arab　friends；　with　Batouch
in　command。　Among　them　were　the　servants　who　had　accompanied　them　upon
their　desert　journey；　and　Hadj。　He　came　forward　smiling　to　shake
hands。　When　she　saw　him　Domini　remembered　Irena；　and；　forgetting　that
it　is　not　etiquette　to　inquire　after　an　Arab's　womenfolk；　she　said：

〃Ah；　Hadj；　and　are　you　happy　now？　How　is　Irena？〃

Hadj's　face　fell；　and　he　showed　his　pointed　teeth　in　a　snarl。　For　a
moment　he　hesitated；　looking　round　at　the　other　Arabs。　Then　he　said：

〃I　am　always　happy；　Madame。〃

Domini　saw　that　she　had　made　a　mistake。　She　took　out　her　purse　and
gave　him　five　francs。

〃A　parting　present；〃　she　said。

Hadj　shook　his　head　with　recovered　cheerfulness；　tucked　in　his　chin
and　laughed。　Domini　turned　away；　shook　hands　with　all　her　dark
acquaintances；　and　climbed　up　into　the　train；　followed　by　Androvsky。
Batouch　sprang　upon　the　step　as　the　porter　shut　the　door。

〃Madame！〃　he　exclaimed。

〃What　is　it；　Batouch？〃

〃To…day　you　have　put　Hadj　to　shame。〃

He　smiled　broadly。

〃I？　How？　What　have　I　done？〃

〃Irena　is　dancing　at　Onargla；　far　away　in　the　desert　beyond　Amara。〃

〃Irena！　But〃

〃She　could　not　live　shut　up　in　a　room。　She　could　not　wear　the　veil　for
Hadj。〃

〃But　then？〃

〃She　has　divorced　him；　Madame。　It　is　easy　here。　For　a　few　francs　one
can〃

The　whistle　sounded。　The　train　jerked。　Batouch　seized　her　hand；　seized
Androvsky's；　sprang　back　to　the　platform。

〃Good…bye；　Batouch！　Good…bye；　Ouardi！　Good…bye；　Smain！〃

The　train　moved　on。　As　it　reached　the　end　of　the　platform　Domini　saw
an　emaciated　figure　standing　there　alone；　a　thin　face　with　glittering
eyes　turned　towards　her　with　a　glaring　scrutiny。　It　was　the　sand…
diviner。　He　smiled　at　her；　and　his　smile　contracted　the　wound　upon　his
face；　making　it　look　wicked　and　grotesque　like　the　face　of　a　demon。
She　sank　down　on　the　seat。　For　a　moment；　a　hideous　moment；　she　felt　as
if　he　personified　Beni…Mora；　as　if　this　smile　were　Beni…Mora's
farewell　to　her　and　to　Androvsky。

And　Irena　was　dancing　at　Onargla；　far　away　in　the　desert。

She　remembered　the　night　in　the　dancing…house；　Irena's　attack　upon
Hadj。

That　love　of　Africa　was　at　an　end。　Was　not　everything　at　an　end？　Yet
Larbi　still　played　upon　his　flute　in　the　garden　of　Count　Anteoni；
still　played　the　little　tune　that　was　as　the　/leit　motif/　of　the
eternal　renewal　of　life。　And　within　herself　she　carried　God's　mystery
of　renewal；　even　she；　with　her　numbed　mind；　her　tired　heart。　She；　too；
was　to　help　to　carry　forward　the　banner　of　life。

She　had　come　to　Beni…Mora　in　the　sunset；　and　now；　in　the　sunset；　she
was　leaving　it。　But　she　did　not　lean　from　the　carriage　window　to　watch
the　pageant　that　was　flaming　in　the　west。　Instead；　she　shut　her　eyes
and　remembered　it　as　it　was　on　that　evening　when　they；　who　now　were
journeying　away　from　the　desert　together；　had　been　journeying　towards
it　together。　Strangers　who　had　never　spoken　to　each　other。　And　the
evening　came；　and　the　train　stole　into　the　gorge　of　El…Akbara；　and
still　she　kept　her　eyes　closed。　Only　when　the　desert　was　finally　left
behind；　divided　from　them　by　the　great　wall　of　rock；　did　she　look　up
and　speak　to　Androvsky。

〃We　met　here；　Boris；〃　she　said。

〃Yes；〃　he　answered；　〃at　the　gate　of　the　desert。　I　shall　never　be　here
again。〃

Soon　the　night　fell　around　them。

*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*　　　*

In　the　evening　of　the　following　day　they　reached　Tunis；　and　drove　to
the　Hotel　d'Orient；　where　they　had　written　to　engage　rooms　for　one
night。　They　had　expected　that　the　city　would　be　almost　dese