the garden of allah-第72章
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music？ And the mystical attraction of the desertwhere was it now？
Its voice； that had called her persistently； was suddenly silent。 Its
hand； that had been laid upon her； was removed。 She looked at it in
the moonlight and it was no longer the desert； sand with a soul in it；
blue distances full of a music of summons； spaces； peopled with
spirits from the sun。 It was only a barren waste of dried…up matter；
arid； featureless； desolate； ghastly with the bones of things that had
died。
She heard the dogs barking by the tents of the nomads and the noises
of the insects； but still she did not feel the horse underneath her。
Yet she was gradually recovering her powers； and their recovery
brought with it sharp； physical pain； such as is felt by a person who
has been nearly drowned and is restored from unconsciousness。
Androvsky turned round。 She saw his eyes fastened upon her； and
instantly pride awoke in her； and； with pride； her whole self。
She felt her horse under her； the reins in her hands； the stirrup at
her foot。 She moved in her saddle。 The blood tingled in her veins
fiercely； bitterly； as if it had become suddenly acrid。 She felt as if
her face were scarlet； as if her whole body flushed； and as if the
flush could be seen by her companion。 For a moment she was clothed
from head to foot in a fiery garment of shame。 But she faced Androvsky
with calm eyes； and her lips smiled。
〃You are tired of it？〃 she said。
〃I never meant to stay long；〃 he answered； looking down。
〃There is not very much to do here。 Shall we ride back to the village
now？〃
She turned her horse； and as she did so cast one more glance at the
three palm trees that stood far out on the path of the moon。 They
looked like three malignant fates lifting up their hands in
malediction。 For a moment she shivered in the saddle。 Then she touched
her horse with the whip and turned her eyes away。 Androvsky followed
her and rode by her side in silence。
To gain the oasis they passed near to the tents of the nomads； whose
fires were dying out。 The guard dogs were barking furiously； and
straining at the cords which fastened them to the tent pegs； by the
short hedges of brushwood that sheltered the doors of filthy rags。 The
Arabs were all within； no doubt huddled up on the ground asleep。 One
tent was pitched alone； at a considerable distance from the others；
and under the first palms of the oasis。 A fire smouldered before it；
casting a flickering gleam of light upon something dark which lay upon
the ground between it and the tent。 Tied to the tent was a large white
dog； which was not barking； but which was howling as if in agony of
fear。 Before Domini and Androvsky drew near to this tent the howling
of the dog reached them and startled them。 There was in it a note that
seemed humanly expressive； as if it were a person trying to scream out
words but unable to from horror。 Both of them instinctively pulled up
their horses； listened； then rode forward。 When they reached the tent
they saw the dark thing lying by the fire。
〃What is it？〃 Domini whispered。
〃An Arab asleep； I suppose；〃 Androvsky answered； staring at the
motionless object。
〃But the dog〃 She looked at the white shape leaping frantically
against the tent。 〃Are you sure？〃
〃It must be。 Look； it is wrapped in rags and the head is covered。〃
〃I don't know。〃
She stared at it。 The howling of the dog grew louder； as if it were
straining every nerve to tell them something dreadful。
〃Do you mind getting off and seeing what it is？ I'll hold the horse。〃
He swung himself out of the saddle。 She caught his rein and watched
him go forward to the thing that lay by the fire； bend down over it；
touch it； recoil from it； thenas if with a determined effortkneel
down beside it on the ground and take the rags that covered it in his
hands。 After a moment of contemplation of what they had hidden he
dropped the ragsor rather threw them from him with a violent gesture
got up and came back to Domini； and looked at her without speaking。
She bent down。
〃I'll tell you；〃 she said。 〃I'll tell you what it is。 It's a dead
woman。〃
It seemed to her as if the dark thing lying by the fire was herself。
〃Yes；〃 he said。 〃It's a woman who has been strangled。〃
〃Poor woman！〃 she said。 〃Poorpoor woman！〃
And it seemed to her as if she said it of herself。
CHAPTER XV
Lying in bed in the dark that night Domini heard the church clock
chime the hours。 She was not restless； though she was wakeful。 Indeed；
she felt like a woman to whom an injection of morphia had been
administered； as if she never wished to move again。 She lay there
counting the minutes that made the passing hours； counting them
calmly； with an inexorable and almost cold self…possession。 The
process presently became mechanical； and she was able； at the same
time； to dwell upon the events that had followed upon the discovery of
the murdered woman by the tent： Androvsky's pulling aside of the door
of the tent to find it empty； their short ride to the encampment close
by； their rousing up of the sleeping Arabs within； filthy nomads
clothed in patched garments； unveiled women with wrinkled； staring
faces and huge plaits of false hair and amulets。 From the tents the
strange figures had streamed forth into the light of the moon and the
fading fires； gesticulating； talking loudly； furiously； in an uncouth
language that was unintelligible to her。 Led by Androvsky they had
come to the corpse； while the air was rent by the frantic barking of
all the guard dogs and the howling of the dog that had been a witness
of the murder。 Then in the night had risen the shrill wailing of the
women； a wailing that seemed to pierce the stars and shudder out to
the remotest confines of the desert； and in the cold white radiance of
the moon a savage vision of grief had been presented to her eyes：
naked arms gesticulating as if they strove to summon vengeance from
heaven； claw…like hands casting earth upon the heads from which
dangled Fatma hands； chains of tarnished silver and lumps of coral
that reminded her of congealed blood； bodies that swayed and writhed
as if stricken with convulsions or rent by seven devils。 She
remembered how strange had seemed to her the vast calm； the vast
silence； that encompassed this noisy outburst of humanity； how
inflexible had looked the enormous moon； how unsympathetic the
brightly shining stars； how feverish and irritable the flickering
illumination of the flames that spurted up and fainted away like
things still living but in the agonies of death。
Then had followed her silent ride back to Beni…Mora with Androvsky
along the straight road which had always fascinated her spirit of
adventure。 They had ridden slowly； without looking at each other；
without exchanging a word。 She had felt dry and weary； like an old
woman who had passed through a long life of suffering and emerged into
a region where any acute feeling is unable to exist； as at a certain
altitude from the earth human life can no longer exist。 The beat of
the horses' hoofs upon the road had sounded hard； as her heart felt；
cold as the temperature of her mind。 Her body； which usually swayed to
her horse's slightest movement； was rigid in the saddle。 She
recollected that once； when her horse stumbled； she had thrilled with
an abrupt anger that was almost ferocious； and had lifted her whip to
lash it。 But the hand had slipped down nervelessly； and she had fallen
again into her frigid reverie。
When they reached the hotel she had dropped to the ground； heavily；
and heavily had ascended the steps of the verandah； followed by
Androvsky。 Without turning to him or bidding him good…night she had
gone to her room。 She had not acted with intentional rudeness or
indifferenceindeed； she had felt incapable of an intention。 Simply；
she had forgotten； for the first time perhaps in her life； an ordinary
act of courtesy； as an old person sometimes forgets you are there and
withdraws into himself。 Androvsky had said nothing； had not tried to
attract her attention to himself。 She had heard his steps die away on
the verandah。 Then； mechanically； she had undressed and got into bed；
where she was now m
