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第22章

the garden of allah-第22章

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region with her eyes。 She saw three running figures with the train of
camels which was now descending into the river bed。 In the shadow of
the low white tower two more were huddled; motionless。 She looked away
to right and left; but saw only the shallow pools; the hot and
gleaming boulders; and beyond the yellow cliffs the brown huts peeping
through the palms。 The horseman had disappeared。

〃I can see five;〃 she answered。

〃Ah! you are not accustomed to the desert。〃

〃There are more?〃

〃I could count up to a dozen。 Which are yours?〃

〃The men with the camels and the men under that tower。〃

〃There are four playing the /jeu des dames/ in the shadow of the cliff
opposite to us。 There is one asleep under a red rock where the path
ascends into the desert。 And there are two more just at the edge of
the little oasisFiliash; as it is called。 One is standing under a
palm; and one is pacing up and down。〃

〃You must have splendid eyes。〃

〃They are trained to the desert。 But there are probably a score of
Arabs within sight whom I don't see。〃

〃Oh! now I see the men at the edge of the oasis。 How oddly that one is
moving。 He goes up and down like a sailor on the quarter…deck。〃

〃Yes; it is curious。 And he is in the full blaze of the sun。 That
can't be an Arab。〃

He drew a silver whistle from his waistcoat pocket; put it to his lips
and sounded a call。 In a moment Smain same running lightly over the
sand。 Count Anteoni said something to him in Arabic。 He disappeared;
and speedily returned with a pair of field…glasses。 While he was gone
Domini watched the two doll…like figures on the cliff in silence。 One
was standing under a large isolated palm tree absolutely still; as
Arabs often stand。 The other; at a short distance from him and full in
the sun; went to and fro; to and fro; always measuring the same space
of desert; and turning and returning at two given points which never
varied。 He walked like a man hemmed in by walls; yet around him were
the infinite spaces。 The effect was singularly unpleasant upon Domini。
All things in the desert; as she had already noticed; became almost
terribly significant; and this peculiar activity seemed full of some
extraordinary and even horrible meaning。 She watched it with straining
eyes。

Count Anteoni took the glasses from Smain and looked through them;
adjusting them carefully to suit his sight。

〃/Ecco!/〃 he said。 〃I was right。 That man is not an Arab。〃

He moved the glasses and glanced at Domini。

〃You are not the only traveller here; Madame。〃

He looked through the glasses again。

〃I knew that;〃 she said。

〃Indeed?〃

〃There is one at my hotel。〃

〃Possibly this is he。 He makes me think of a caged tiger; who has been
so long in captivity that when you let him out he still imagines the
bars to be all round him。 What was he like?〃

All the time he was speaking he was staring intently through the
glasses。 As Domini did not reply he removed them from his eyes and
glanced at her inquiringly。

〃I am trying to think what he looked like;〃 she said slowly。 〃But I
feel that I don't know。 He was quite unlike any ordinary man。〃

〃Would you care to see if you can recognise him? These are really
marvellous glasses。〃

Domini took them from him with some eagerness。

〃Twist them about till they suit your eyes。〃

At first she could see nothing but a fierce yellow glare。 She turned
the screw and gradually the desert came to her; startlingly distinct。
The boulders of the river bed were enormous。 She could see the veins
of colour in them; a lizard running over one of them and disappearing
into a dark crevice; then the white tower and the Arabs beneath it。
One was an old man yawning; the other a boy。 He rubbed the tip of his
brown nose; and she saw the henna stains upon his nails。 She lifted
the glasses slowly and with precaution。 The tower ran away。 She came
to the low cliff; to the brown huts and the palms; passed them one by
one; and reached the last; which was separated from its companions。
Under it stood a tall Arab in a garment like a white night…shirt。

〃He looks as if he had only one eye!〃 she exclaimed。

〃The palm…tree manyes。〃

She travelled cautiously away from him; keeping the glasses level。

〃Ah!〃 she said on an indrawn breath。

As she spoke the thin; nasal cry of a distant voice broke upon her
ears; prolonging a strange call。

〃The Mueddin;〃 said Count Anteoni。

And he repeated in a low tone the words of the angel to the prophet:
〃Oh thou that art covered arise 。 。 。 and magnify thy Lord; and purify
thy clothes; and depart from uncleanness。〃

The call died away and was renewed three times。 The old man and the
boy beneath the tower turned their faces towards Mecca; fell upon
their knees and bowed their heads to the hot stones。 The tall Arab
under the palm sank down swiftly。 Domini kept the glasses at her eyes。
Through them; as in a sort of exaggerated vision; very far off; yet
intensely distinct; she saw the man with whom she had travelled in the
train。 He went to and fro; to and fro on the burning ground till the
fourth call of the Mueddin died away。 Then; as he approached the
isolated palm tree and saw the Arab beneath it fall to the earth and
bow his long body in prayer; he paused and stood still as if in
contemplation。 The glasses were so powerful that it was possible to
see the expressions on faces even at that distance。 The expression on
the traveller's face was; or seemed to be; at first one of profound
attention。 But this changed swiftly as he watched the bowing figure;
and was succeeded by a look of uneasiness; then of fierce disgust;
thensurelyof fear or horror。 He turned sharply away like a driven
man; and hurried off along the cliff edge in a striding walk;
quickening his steps each moment till his departure became a flight。
He disappeared behind a projection of earth where the path sank to the
river bed。

Domini laid the glasses down on the wall and looked at Count Anteoni。

〃You say an atheist in the desert is unimaginable?

〃Isn't it true?〃

〃Has an atheist a hatred; a horror of prayer?〃

〃Chi lo sa? The devil shrank away from the lifted Cross。〃

〃Because he knew how much that was true it symbolised。〃

〃No doubt had it been otherwise he would have jeered; not cowered。 But
why do you ask me this question; Madame?〃

〃I have just seen a man flee from the sight of prayer。〃

〃Your fellow…traveller?〃

〃Yes。 It was horrible。〃

She gave him back the glasses。

〃They reveal that which should be hidden;〃 she said。

Count Anteoni took the glasses slowly from her hands。 As he bent to do
it he looked steadily at her; and she could not read the expression in
his eyes。

〃The desert is full of truth。 Is that what you mean?〃 he asked。

She made no reply。 Count Anteoni stretched out his hand to the shining
expanse before them。

〃The man who is afraid of prayer is unwise to set foot beyond the palm
trees;〃 he said。

〃Why unwise?〃

He answered her very gravely。

〃The Arabs have a saying: 'The desert is the garden of Allah。'〃

*   *   *   *   *   *

Domini did not ascend the tower of the hotel that morning。 She had
seen enough for the moment; and did not wish to disturb her
impressions by adding to them。 So she walked back to the Hotel du
Desert with Batouch。

Count Anteoni had said good…bye to her at the door of the garden; and
had begged her to come again whenever she liked; and to spend as many
hours there as she pleased。

〃I shall take you at your word;〃 she said frankly。 〃I feel that I
may。〃

As they shook hands she gave him her card。 He took out his。 〃By the
way;〃 he said; 〃the big hotel you passed in coming here is mine。 I
built it to prevent a more hideous one being built; and let it to the
proprietor。 You might like to ascend the tower。 The view at sundown is
incomparable。 At present the hotel is shut; but the guardian will show
you everything if you give him my card。〃

He pencilled some words in Arabic on the back from right to left。

〃You write Arabic; too?〃 Domini said; watching the forming of the
pretty curves with interest。

〃Oh; yes; I am more than half African; though my father was a Sicilian
and my mother a R

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