the garden of allah-第25章
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peculiar force。 Hadj tossed his head upwards； tucked in his chin； and
muttered some words in his brown throat as he noted the elastic grace
with which the rejecting foreign woman moved till she was out of his
sight。 And she never looked back at him。 That was a keen arrow in her
quiver。 He fell into a deep reverie under the arcade and his face
became suddenly like the face of a sphinx。
Meanwhile Domini had forgotten him。 She had turned to the left down a
small street in which some Indians and superior Arabs had bazaars。 One
of the latter came out from the shadow of his hanging rugs and
embroideries as she passed； and； addressing her in a strange mixture
of incorrect French and English； begged her to come in and examine his
wares。
She shook her head； but could not help looking at him with interest。
He was the thinnest man she had ever seen； and moved and stood almost
as if he were boneless。 The line of his delicate and yet arbitrary
features was fierce。 His face was pitted with small…pox and marked by
an old wound； evidently made by a knife； which stretched from his left
cheek to his forehead； ending just over the left eyebrow。 The
expression of his eyes was almost disgustingly intelligent。 While they
were fixed upon her Domini felt as if her body were a glass box in
which all her thoughts； feelings； and desires were ranged for his
inspection。 In his demeanour there was much that pleaded； but also
something that commanded。 His fingers were unnaturally long and held a
small bag； and he planted himself right before her in the road。
〃Madame； come in； venez avec moi。 Venezvenez！ I have muchI will
showj'ai des choses extraordinaires！ Tenez！ Look！〃
He untied the mouth of the bag。 Domini looked into it； expecting to
see something preciousjewels perhaps。 She saw only a quantity of
sand； laughed； and moved to go on。 She thought the Arab was an
impudent fellow trying to make fun of her。
〃No； no； Madame！ Do not laugh！ Ce sable est du desert。 Il y a des
histoires la…dedans。 Il y a l'histoire de Madame。 Come bazaar！ I will
read for Madamewhat will bewhat will becomeI will readI will
tell。 Tenez！〃 He stared down into the bag and his face became suddenly
stern and fixed。 〃Deja je vois des choses dans la vie de Madame。 Ah！
Mon Dieu！ Ah！ Mon Dieu！〃
〃No； no；〃 Domini said。
She had hesitated； but was now determined。
〃I have no time to…day。〃
The man cast a quick and sly glance at her； then stared once more into
the bag。 〃Ah！ Mon Dieu！ Ah！ Mon Dieu！〃 he repeated。 〃The life to come
the life of MadameI see it in the bag！〃
His face looked tortured。 Domini walked on hurriedly。 When she had got
to a little distance she glanced back。 The man was standing in the
middle of the road and glaring into the bag。 His voice came down the
street to her。
〃Ah！ Mon Dieu！ Ah！ Mon Dieu！ I see itI seeje vois la vie de Madame
Ah！ Mon Dieu！〃
There was an accent of dreadful suffering in his voice。 It made Domini
shudder。
She passed the mouth of the dancers' street。 At the corner there was a
large Cafe Maure； and here； on rugs laid by the side of the road；
numbers of Arabs were stretched； some sipping tea from glasses； some
playing dominoes； some conversing； some staring calmly into vacancy；
like animals drowned in a lethargic dream。 A black boy ran by holding
a hammered brass tray on which were some small china cups filled with
thick coffee。 Halfway up the street he met three unveiled women clad
in voluminous white dresses； with scarlet； yellow； and purple
handkerchiefs bound over their black hair。 He stopped and the women
took the cups with their henna…tinted fingers。 Two young Arabs joined
them。 There was a scuffle。 White lumps of sugar flew up into the air。
Then there was a babel of voices； a torrent of cries full of barbaric
gaiety。
Before it had died out of Domini's ears she stood by the statue of
Cardinal Lavigerie。 Rather militant than priestly； raised high on a
marble pedestal； it faced the long road which； melting at last into a
faint desert track； stretched away to Tombouctou。 The mitre upon the
head was worn surely as if it were a helmet； the pastoral staff with
its double cross was grasped as if it were a sword。 Upon the lower
cross was stretched a figure of the Christ in agony。 And the Cardinal；
gazing with the eyes of an eagle out into the pathless wastes of sand
that lay beyond the palm trees； seemed； by his mere attitude； to cry
to all the myriad hordes of men the deep…bosomed Sahara mothered in
her mystery and silence； 〃Come unto the Church！ Come unto me！〃
He called men in from the desert。 Domini fancied his voice echoing
along the sands till the worshippers of Allah and of his Prophet heard
it like a clarion in Tombouctou。
When she reached the great hotel the sun was just beginning to set。
She drew Count Anteoni's card from her glove and rang the bell。 After
a long interval a magnificent man； with the features of an Arab but a
skin almost as black as a negro； opened the door。
〃Can I go up the tower to see the sunset？〃 she asked； giving him the
card。
The man bowed low； escorted her through a long hall full of furniture
shrouded in coverings； up a staircase； along a corridor with numbered
rooms； up a second staircase and out upon a flat…terraced roof； from
which the tower soared high above the houses and palms of Beni…Mora； a
landmark visible half…a…day's journey out in the desert。 A narrow
spiral stair inside the tower gained the summit。
〃I'll go up alone；〃 Domini said。 〃I shall stay some time and I would
rather not keep you。〃
She put some money into the Arab's hand。 He looked pleased； yet
doubtful too for a moment。 Then he seemed to banish his hesitation
and； with a deprecating smile； said something which she could not
understand。 She nodded intelligently to get rid of him。 Already； from
the roof； she caught sight of a great visionary panorama glowing with
colour and magic。 She was impatient to climb still higher into the
sky； to look down on the world as an eagle does。 So she turned away
decisively and mounted the dark； winding stair till she reached a
door。 She pushed it open with some difficulty； and came out into the
air at a dizzy height； shutting the door forcibly behind her with an
energetic movement of her strong arms。
The top of the tower was small and square； and guarded by a white
parapet breast high。 In the centre of it rose the outer walls and the
ceiling of the top of the staircase； which prevented a person standing
on one side of the tower from seeing anybody who was standing at the
opposite side。 There was just sufficient space between parapet and
staircase wall for two people to pass with difficulty and manoeuvring。
But Domini was not concerned with such trivial details； as she would
have thought them had she thought of them。 Directly she had shut the
little door and felt herself alonealone as an eagle in the skyshe
took the step forward that brought her to the parapet； leaned her arms
on it； looked out and was lost in a passion of contemplation。
At first she did not discern any of the multitudinous minutiae in the
great evening vision beneath and around her。 She only felt conscious
of depth； height； space； colour； mystery； calm。 She did not measure。
She did not differentiate。 She simply stood there； leaning lightly on
the snowy plaster work； and experienced something that she had never
experienced before； that she had never imagined。 It was scarcely
vivid； for in everything that is vivid there seems to be something
small； the point to which wonders converge； the intense spark to which
many fires have given themselves as food； the drop which contains the
murmuring force of innumerable rivers。 It was more than vivid。 It was
reliantly dim； as is that pulse of life which is heard through and
above the crash of generations and centuries falling downwards into
the abyss； that persistent； enduring heart…beat； indifferent in its
mystical regularity； that ignores and triumphs； and never grows louder
nor diminishes； inexorably calm； inexorably steady； undefeatedmore
utterly unaffected by unnumbered millions of tragedies and deaths。
Many sounds rose from far down beneath the tower；
