the garden of allah-第84章

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eating　flat　loaves　of　yellow　bread；　and　talking　together　in　low；
guttural　voices。　The　guard　dogs　roamed　round　them；　uneasily　hungry。　In
the　distance；　before　a　tent　of　patched　rags；　a　woman；　scantily　clad　in
bright　red　cotton；　was　suckling　a　child　and　staring　at　the　caravan。

Domini　and　Androvsky　scarcely　spoke　as　they　ate。　Once　she　said：

〃Do　you　realise　that　this　is　a　wedding　breakfast？〃

She　was　thinking　of　the　many　wedding　receptions　she　had　attended　in
London；　of　crowds　of　smartly…dressed　women　staring　enviously　at
tiaras；　and　sets　of　jewels　arranged　in　cases　upon　tables；　of　brides
and　bridegrooms；　looking　flushed　and　anxious；　standing　under　canopies
of　flowers　and　forcing　their　tired　lips　into　smiles　as　they　replied　to
stereotyped　congratulations；　while　detectivespoorly　disguised　as
gentlemenhovered　in　the　back…ground　to　see　that　none　of　the　presents
mysteriously　disappeared。　Her　presents　were　the　velvety　roses　in　the
earthen　vases；　the　breezes　of　the　desert；　the　sand　humps；　the　yellow
butterflies；　the　silence　that　lay　around　like　a　blessing　pronounced　by
the　God　who　made　the　still　places　where　souls　can　learn　to　know
themselves　and　their　great　destiny。

〃A　wedding　breakfast；〃　Androvsky　said。

〃Yes。　But　perhaps　you　have　never　been　to　one。〃

〃Never。〃

〃Then　you　can't　love　this　one　as　much　as　I　do。〃

〃Much　more；〃　he　answered。

She　looked　at　him；　remembering　how　often　in　the　past；　when　she　had
been　feeling　intensely；　she　had　it　borne　in　upon　her　that　he　was
feeling　even　more　intensely　than　herself。　But　could　that　be　possible
now？

〃Do　you　think；〃　she　said；　〃that　it　is　possible　for　you；　who　have　never
lived　in　cities；　to　love　this　land　as　I　love　it？〃

Androvsky　moved　on　his　cushion　and　leaned　down　till　his　elbow　touched
the　sand。　Lying　thus；　with　his　chin　in　his　hand；　and　his　eyes　fixed
upon　her；　he　answered：

〃But　it　is　not　the　land　I　am　loving。〃

His　absolute　concentration　upon　her　made　her　think　that；　perhaps；　he
misunderstood　her　meaning　in　speaking　of　the　desert；　her　joy　in　it。
She　longed　to　explain　how　he　and　the　desert　were　linked　together　in
her　heart；　and　she　dropped　her　hand　upon　his　left　hand；　which　lay　palm
downwards　in　the　warm　sand。

〃I　love　this　land；〃　she　began；　〃because　I　found　you　in　it；　because　I
feel〃

She　stopped。

〃Yes；　Domini？〃　he　said。

〃No；　not　now。　I　can't　tell　you。　There's　too　much　light。〃

〃Domini；〃　he　repeated。

Then　they　were　silent　once　more；　thinking　of　how　the　darkness　would
come　to　them　at　Arba。

In　the　late　afternoon　they　drew　near　to　the　Bordj；　moving　along　a
difficult　route　full　of　deep　ruts　and　holes；　and　bordered　on　either
side　by　bushes　so　tall　that　they　looked　almost　like　trees。　Here；
tended　by　Arabs　who　stared　gravely　at　the　strangers　in　the　palanquin；
were　grazing　immense　herds　of　camels。　Above　the　bushes　to　the　horizon
on　either　side　of　the　way　appeared　the　serpentine　necks　flexibly
moving　to　and　fro；　now　bending　deliberately　towards　the　dusty　twigs；
now　stretched　straight　forward　as　if　in　patient　search　for　some　solace
of　the　camel's　fate　that　lay　in　the　remoteness　of　the　desert。　Baby
camels；　many　of　them　only　a　few　days　old；　yet　already　vowed　to　the
eternal　pilgrimages　of　the　wastes；　with　mild　faces　and　long；
disobedient…looking　legs；　ran　from　the　caravan；　nervously　seeking
their　morose　mothers；　who　cast　upon　them　glances　that　seemed
expressive　of　a　disdainful　pity。　In　front；　beyond　a　watercourse；　now
dried　up；　rose　the　low　hill　on　which　stood　the　Bordj；　a　huge；　square
building；　with　two　square　towers　pierced　with　loopholes。　From　a
distance　it　resembled　a　fort　threatening　the　desert　in　magnificent
isolation。　Its　towers　were　black　against　the　clear　lemon　of　the
failing　sunlight。　Pigeons；　that　looked　also　black；　flew　perpetually
about　them；　and　the　telegraph　posts；　that　bordered　the　way　at　regular
intervals　on　the　left；　made　a　diminishing　series　of　black　vertical
lines　sharply　cutting　the　yellow　till　they　were　lost　to　sight　in　the
south。　To　Domini　these　posts　were　like　pointing　fingers　beckoning　her
onward　to　the　farthest　distances　of　the　sun。　Drugged　by　the　long
journey　over　the　flats；　and　the　unceasing　caress　of　the　air；　that　was
like　an　importunate　lover　ever　unsatisfied；　she　watched　from　the
height　on　which　she　was　perched　this　evening　scene　of　roaming；　feeding
animals；　staring　nomads；　monotonous　herbage　and　vague；　surely…
retreating　mountains；　with　quiet；　dreamy　eyes。　Everything　which　she
saw　seemed　to　her　beautiful；　a　little　remote　and　a　little　fantastic。
The　slow　movement　of　the　camels；　the　swifter　movements　of　the　circling
pigeons　about　the　square　towers　on　the　hill；　the　motionless；　or
gently…gliding；　Arabs　with　their　clubs　held　slantwise；　the　telegraph
poles；　one　smaller　than　the　other；　diminishing　tillas　if　magically
they　disappeared　in　the　lemon　that　was　growing　into　gold；　were　woven
together　for　her　by　the　shuttle　of　the　desert　into　a　softly　brilliant
tapestryone　of　those　tapestries　that　is　like　a　legend　struck　to
sleep　as　the　Beauty　in　her　palace。　As　they　began　to　mount　the　hill；
and　the　radiance　of　the　sky　increased；　this　impression　faded；　for　the
life　that　centred　round　the　Bordj　was　vivid；　though　sparse　in
comparison　with　the　eddying　life　of　towns；　and　had　that　air　of
peculiar　concentration　which　may　be　noted　in　pictures　representing　a
halt　in　the　desert。

No　longer　did　the　strongly…built　Bordj　seem　to　Domini　like　a　fort
threatening　the　oncomer；　but　like　a　stalwart　host　welcoming　him；　a
host　who　kept　open　house　in　this　treeless　desolation　that　yet　had；　for
her；　no　feature　that　was　desolate。　It　was　earth…coloured；　built　of
stone；　and　had　in　the　middle　of　the　facade　that　faced　them　an　immense
hospitable　doorway　with　a　white　arch　above　it。　This　doorway　gave　a
partial　view　of　a　vast　courtyard；　in　which　animals　and　people　were
moving　to　and　fro。　Round　about；　under　the　sheltering　shadow　of　the
windowless　wall；　were　many　Arabs；　some　squatting　on　their　haunches；
some　standing　upright　with　their　backs　against　the　stone；　some　moving
from　one　group　to　another；　gesticulating　and　talking　vivaciously。　Boys
were　playing　a　game　with　stones　set　in　an　ordered　series　of　small
holes　scooped　by　their　fingers　in　the　dust。　A　negro　crossed　the　flat
space　before　the　Bordj　carrying　on　his　head　a　huge　earthen　vase　to　the
well　near　by；　where　a　crowd　of　black　donkeys；　just　relieved　of　their
loads　of　brushwood；　was　being　watered。　From　the　south　two　Spahis　were
riding　in　on　white　horses；　their　scarlet　cloaks　floating　out　over
their　saddles；　and　from　the　west；　moving　slowly　to　a　wailing　sound　of
indistinct　music；　a　faint　beating　of　tomtoms；　was　approaching　a　large
caravan　in　a　cloud　of　dust　which　floated　back　from　it　and　melted　away
into　the　radiance　of　the　sunset。

When　they　gained　the　great　open　space　before　the　building　they　were
bathed　in　the　soft　golden　light；　in　which　all　these　figures　of
Africans；　and　all　these　animals；　looked　mysterious　and　beautiful；　and
full　of　that　immeasurable　significance　which　the　desert　sheds　upon
those　who　move　in　it；　specially　at　dawn　or　at　sundown。　From　the
plateau　they　dominated　the　whole　of　the　plain　they　had　traversed　as
far　as　Beni…Mora；　which　on　the　morrow　would　fade　into　the　blue
horizon。　Its　thousands　of　palms　made　a　darkness　in　the　gold；　and　still
the　tower　of　the　hotel　was　faintly　visible；　pointing　like　a　needle
towards　the　sky。　The　range　of　mountains　showed　their　rosy　flanks　in
the　distance。　They；　too；　on　the　morrow　would　be　lost　in　the　desert
spaces；　the　last　outposts　of　the　world　of　hill　and　valley；　of　stream
and　sea。　Only　in　the　deceptive　dream　of　the　mirage　would　they　appear
once　more；　looming　in　a　pearl…coloured　shaking　veil　like　a　fluid　on
the　edge　of　some　visionary　lagune。

Domini　was　glad　that　on　this　first　night　of　their　journey　they　could
still　see　Beni…Mora；　the　place　where　they　had　found　each　other　and
been　given　to　each　other　by　the　Church。　As　the　camel　stopped　before
the　great　doorway　of　the　Bordj　she　turned　in　the　palanquin　and　looked
down　upon　the　desert；　motioning　to　the　camel…driver　to　leave　the　beast
for　a　moment。　She　put　her　arm　through　Androvsky's　and　made　his　eyes
follow　hers　across　the　va