the garden of allah-第36章
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looking at the white bundle。 It shifted again。 She sprang upon it；
showing her teeth； caught hold of it。 With a swift turn of her thin
hands she tore back the hood； and out of the bundle came Hadj's head
and face livid with fear。 One of the daggers flashed and came up at
him。 He leaped from the seat and screamed。 Suzanne echoed his cry。
Then the whole room was a turmoil of white garments and moving limbs。
In an instant everybody seemed to be leaping； calling out； grasping；
struggling。 Domini tried to get up； but she was hemmed in； and could
not make a movement upward or free her arms； which were pressed
against her sides by the crowd around her。 For a moment she thought
she was going to be severely hurt or suffocated。 She did not feel
afraid； but only indignant； like a boy who has been struck in the face
and longs to retaliate。 Someone screamed again。 It was Hadj。 Suzanne
was on her feet； but separated from her mistress。 Batouch's arm was
round her。 Domini put her hands on the bench and tried to force
herself up； violently setting her broad shoulders against the Arabs
who were towering over her and covering her head and face with their
floating garments as they strove to see the fight between Hadj and the
dancer。 The heat almost stifled her； and she was suddenly aware of a
strong musky smell of perspiring humanity。 She was beginning to pant
for breath when she felt two burning； hot； hard hands come down on
hers； fingers like iron catch hold of hers； go under them； drag up her
hands。 She could not see who had seized her； but the life in the hands
that were on hers mingled with the life in her hands like one fluid
with another； and seemed to pass on till she felt it in her body； and
had an odd sensation as if her face had been caught in a fierce grip；
and her heart too。
Another moment and she was on her feet and out in the moonlit alley
between the little white houses。 She saw the stars； and the painted
balconies crowded with painted women looking down towards the cafe she
had left and chattering in shrill voices。 She saw the patrol of
Tirailleurs Indigenes marching at the double to the doorway in which
the Arabs were still struggling。 Then she saw that the traveller was
beside her。 She was not surprised。
〃Thank you for getting me out；〃 she said rather bluntly。 〃Where's my
maid？〃
〃She got away before us with your guide； Madame。〃
He held up his hands and looked at them hard； eagerly； questioningly。
〃You weren't hurt？〃
He dropped his hands quickly。 〃Oh； no； it wasn't〃
He broke off the sentence and was silent。 Domini stood still； drew a
long breath and laughed。 She still felt angry and laughed to control
herself。 Unless she could be amused at this episode she knew that she
was capable of going back to the door of the cafe and hitting out
right and left at the men who had nearly suffocated her。 Any violence
done to her body； even an unintentional push against her in the street
if there was real force in itseemed to let loose a devil in her；
such a devil as ought surely only to dwell inside a man。
〃What people！〃 she said。 〃What wild creatures！〃
She laughed again。 The patrol pushed its way roughly in at the
doorway。
〃The Arabs are always like that； Madame。〃
She looked at him； then she said； abruptly：
〃Do you speak English？〃
Her companion hesitated。 It was perfectly obvious to her that he was
considering whether he should answer 〃Yes〃 or 〃No。〃 Such hesitation
about such a matter was very strange。 At last he said； but still in
French：
〃Yes。〃
And directly he had said it she saw by his face that he wished he had
said 〃No。〃
From the cafe the Arabs began to pour into the street。 The patrol was
clearing the place。 The women leaning over the balconies cried out
shrilly to learn the exact history of the tumult； and the men standing
underneath； and lifting up their bronzed faces in the moonlight；
replied in violent voices； gesticulating vehemently while their
hanging sleeves fell back from their hairy arms。
〃I am an Englishwoman；〃 Domini said。
But she too felt obliged to speak still in French； as if a sudden
reserve told her to do so。 He said nothing。 They were standing in
quite a crowd now。 It swayed； parted suddenly； and the soldiers
appeared holding Irena。 Hadj followed behind； shouting as if in a
frenzy of passion。 There was some blood on one of his hands and a
streak of blood on the front of the loose shirt he wore under his
burnous。 He kept on shooting out his arms towards Irena as he walked；
and frantically appealing to the Arabs round him。 When he saw the
women on their balconies he stopped for a moment and called out to
them like a man beside himself。 A Tirailleur pushed him on。 The women；
who had been quiet to hear him； burst forth again into a paroxysm of
chatter。 Irena looked utterly indifferent and walked feebly。 The
little procession disappeared in the moonlight accompanied by the
crowd。
〃She has stabbed Hadj；〃 Domini said。 〃Batouch will be glad。〃
She did not feel as if she were sorry。 Indeed； she thought she was
glad too。 That the dancer should try to do a thing and fail would have
seemed contradictory。 And the streak of blood she had just seen seemed
to relieve her suddenly and to take from her all anger。 Her self…
control returned。
〃Thank you once more；〃 she said to her companion。 〃Goodnight。〃
She remembered the episode of the tower that afternoon； and resolved
to take a definite line this time； and not to run the chance of a
second desertion。 She started off down the street； but found him
walking beside her in silence。 She stopped。
〃I am very much obliged to you for getting me out；〃 she said； looking
straight at him。 〃And now； good…night。〃
Almost for the first time he endured her gaze without any uncertainty；
and she saw that though he might be hesitating； uneasy； even
contemptibleas when he hurried down the road in the wake of the
negro processionhe could also be a dogged man。
〃I'll go with you； Madame；〃 he said。
〃Why？〃
〃It's night。〃
〃I'm not afraid。〃
〃I'll go with you； Madame。〃
He said it again harshly and kept his eyes on her； frowning。
〃And if I refuse？〃 she said； wondering whether she was going to refuse
or not。
〃I'll follow you； Madame。〃
She knew by the look on his face that he； too； was thinking of what
had happened in the afternoon。 Why should she wish to deprive him of
the reparation he was anxious to makeobviously anxious in an almost
piteously determined way？ It was poor pride in her； a mean little
feeling。
〃Come with me；〃 she said。
They went on together。
The Arabs； stirred up by the fracas in Tahar's cafe； were seething
with excitement； and several of them； gathered together in a little
crowd； were quarrelling and shouting at the end of the street near the
statue of the Cardinal。 Domini's escort saw them and hesitated。
〃I think； Madame； it would be better to take a side street；〃 he said。
〃Very well。 Let us go to the left here。 It is bound to bring us to the
hotel as it runs parallel to the house of the sand diviner。〃
He started。
〃The sand…diviner？〃 he said in his low； strong voice。
〃Yes。〃
She walked on into a tiny alley。 He followed her。
〃You haven't seen the thin man with the bag of sand？〃
〃No； Madame。〃
〃He reads your past in sand from the desert and tells what your future
will be。〃
The man made no reply。
〃Will you pay him a visit？〃 Domini asked curiously。
〃No； Madame。 I do not care for such things。〃
Suddenly she stood still。
〃Oh； look！〃 she said。 〃How strange！ And there are others all down the
street。〃
In the tiny alley the balconies of the houses nearly met。 No figures
leaned on their railings。 No chattering voices broke the furtive
silence that prevailed in this quarter of Beni…Mora。 The moonlight was
fainter here； obscured by the close…set buildings； and at the moment
there was not an Arab in sight。 The sense of loneliness and peace was
profound； and as the rare windows of the houses； minute and protected
by heavy gratings； were dark； it had seemed to Domini at first as if
all the inhabitants were in bed and asleep。 But； in passing on； she
had seen a faint and blanched illumin
