the garden of allah-第94章

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〃Yes；　Madame。　But　I　did　not　feel　utterly　alone。〃

〃Your　men！〃

〃No；　Madame。〃

After　a　pause　he　added；　simply：

〃My　mother　is　a　devout　Catholic；　Madame。　I　am　her　only　child；　andshe
taught　me　long　ago　that　in　any　peril　one　is　never　quite　alone。〃

Domini's　heart　warmed　to　him。　She　loved　this　trust　in　God　so　frankly
shown　by　a　soldier；　member　of　an　African　regiment；　in　this　wild　land。
She　loved　this　brave　reliance　on　the　unseen　in　the　midst　of　the　terror
of　the　seen。　Before　they　spoke　again　Androvsky　crossed　the　dark　space
between　the　tents　and　came　slowly　into　the　circle　of　the　lamplight。

De　Trevignac　got　up　from　his　chair；　and　Domini　introduced　the　two　men。
As　they　bowed　each　shot　a　swift　glance　at　the　other。　Then　Androvsky
looked　down；　and　two　vertical　lines　appeared　on　his　high　forehead
above　his　eyebrows。　They　gave　to　his　face　a　sudden　look　of　acute
distress。　De　Trevignac　thanked　him　for　his　proffered　hospitality　with
the　ease　of　a　man　of　the　world；　assuming　that　the　kind　invitation　to
him　and　to　his　men　came　from　the　husband　as　well　as　from　the　wife。
When　he　had　finished　speaking；　Androvsky；　without　looking　up；　said；　in
a　voice　that　sounded　to　Domini　new；　as　if　he　had　deliberately　assumed
it：

〃I　am　glad；　Monsieur。　We　found　gazelle；　and　so　I　hopeI　hope　you　will
have　a　fairly　good　dinner。〃

The　words　could　scarcely　have　been　more　ordinary；　but　the　way　in　which
they　were　uttered　was　so　strange；　sounded　indeed　so　forced；　and　so
unnatural；　that　both　De　Trevignac　and　Domini　looked　at　the　speaker　in
surprise。　There　was　a　pause。　Then　Batouch　and　Ouardi　came　in　with　the
soup。

〃Come！〃　Domini　said。　〃Let　us　begin。　Monsieur　de　Trevignac；　will　you
sit　here　on　my　right？〃

They　sat　down。　The　two　men　were　opposite　to　each　other　at　the　ends　of
the　small　table；　with　a　lamp　between　them。　Domini　faced　the　tent　door；
and　could　see　in　the　distance　the　tents　of　the　attendants　lit　up　by
the　blaze　of　the　fire；　and　the　forms　of　the　French　soldiers　sitting　at
their　table　close　to　it；　with　the　Arabs　clustering　round　them。　Sounds
of　loud　conversation　and　occasional　roars　of　laughter；　that　was　almost
childish　in　its　frank　lack　of　all　restraint；　told　her　that　one　feast
was　a　success。　She　looked　at　her　companions　and　made　a　sudden　resolve
almost　fiercethat　the　other；　over　which　she　was　presiding；　should
be　a　success；　too。　But　why　was　Androvsky　so　strange　with　other　men？
Why　did　he　seem　to　become　almost　a　different　human　being　directly　he
was　brought　into　any　close　contact　with　his　kind？　Was　it　shyness？　Had
he　a　profound　hatred　of　all　society？　She　remembered　Count　Anteoni's
luncheon　and　the　distress　Androvsky　had　caused　her　by　his　cold
embarrassment；　his　unwillingness　to　join　in　conversation　on　that
occasion。　But　then　he　was　only　her　friend。　Now　he　was　her　husband。　She
longed　for　him　to　show　himself　at　his　best。　That　he　was　not　a　man　of
the　world　she　knew。　Had　he　not　told　her　of　his　simple　upbringing　in　El
Kreir；　a　remote　village　of　Tunisia；　by　a　mother　who　had　been　left　in
poverty　after　the　death　of　his　father；　a　Russian　who　had　come　to
Africa　to　make　a　fortune　by　vine…growing；　and　who　had　had　his　hopes
blasted　by　three　years　of　drought　and　by　the　visitation　of　the　dreaded
phylloxera？　Had　he　not　told　her　of　his　own　hard　work　on　the　rich
uplands　among　the　Spanish　workmen；　of　how　he　had　toiled　early　and　late
in　all　kinds　of　weather；　not　for　himself；　but　for　a　company　that　drew
a　fortune　from　the　land　and　gave　him　a　bare　livelihood？　Till　she　met
him　he　had　never　travelledhe　had　never　seen　almost　anything　of　life。
A　legacy　from　a　relative　had　at　last　enabled　him　to　have　some　freedom
and　to　gratify　a　man's　natural　taste　for　change。　And；　strangely；
perhaps；　he　had　come　first　to　the　desert。　She　could　notshe　did　not
expect　him　to　show　the　sort　of　easy　cultivation　that　a　man　acquires
only　by　long　contact　with　all　sorts　and　conditions　of　men　and　women。
But　she　knew　that　he　was　not　only　full　of　fire　and　feelinga　man　with
a　great　temperament；　but　also　that　he　was　a　man　who　had　found　time　to
study；　whose　mind　was　not　empty。　He　was　a　man　who　had　thought
profoundly。　She　knew　this；　although　even　with　her；　even　in　the　great
intimacy　that　is　born　of　a　great　mutual　passion；　she　knew　him　for　a
man　of　naturally　deep　reserve；　who　could　not　perhaps　speak　all　his
thoughts　to　anyone；　even　to　the　woman　he　loved。　And　knowing　this；　she
felt　a　fighting　temper　rise　up　in　her。　She　resolved　to　use　her　will
upon　this　man　who　loved　her；　to　force　him　to　show　his　best　side　to　the
guest　who　had　come　to　them　out　of　the　terror　of　the　dunes。　She　would
be　obstinate　for　him。

Her　lips　went　down　a　little　at　the　corners。　De　Trevignac　glanced　at
her　above　his　soup…plate；　and　then　at　Androvsky。　He　was　a　man　who　had
seen　much　of　society；　and　who　divined　at　once　the　gulf　that　must　have
separated　the　kind　of　life　led　in　the　past　by　his　hostess　from　the
kind　of　life　led　by　his　host。　Such　gulfs；　he　knew；　are　bridged　with
difficulty。　In　this　case　a　great　love　must　have　been　the　bridge。　His
interest　in　these　two　people；　encountered　by　him　in　the　desolation　of
the　wastes；　and　when　all　his　emotions　had　been　roused　by　the　nearness
of　peril；　would　have　been　deep　in　any　case。　But　there　was　something
that　made　it　extraordinary；　something　connected　with　Androvsky。　It
seemed　to　him　that　he　had　seen；　perhaps　known　Androvsky　at　some　time
in　his　life。　Yet　Androvsky's　face　was　not　familiar　to　him。　He　could
not　yet　tell　from　what　he　drew　this　impression；　but　it　was　strong。　He
searched　his　memory。

Just　at　first　fatigue　was　heavy　upon　him；　but　the　hot　soup；　the　first
glass　of　wine　revived　him。　When　Domini；　full　of　her　secret　obstinacy；
began　to　talk　gaily　he　was　soon　able　easily　to　take　his　part；　and　to
join　her　in　her　effort　to　include　Androvsky　in　the　conversation。　The
cheerful　noise　of　the　camp　came　to　them　from　without。

〃I'm　afraid　my　men　are　lifting　up　their　voices　rather　loudly；〃　said　De
Trevignac。

〃We　like　it；〃　said　Domini。　〃Don't　we；　Boris？〃

There　was　a　long　peal　of　laughter　from　the　distance。　As　it　died　away
Batouch's　peculiar　guttural　chuckle；　which　had　something　negroid　in
it；　was　audible；　prolonging　itself　in　a　loneliness　that　spoke　his
pertinacious　sense　of　humour。

〃Certainly；〃　said　Androvsky；　still　in　the　same　strained　and　unnatural
voice　which　had　surprised　Domini　when　she　introduced　the　two　men。　〃We
are　accustomed　to　gaiety　round　the　camp　fire。〃

〃You　are　making　a　long　stay　in　the　desert；　Monsieur？〃　asked　De
Trevignac。

〃I　hope　so；　Monsieur。　It　depends　on　myit　depends　on　Madame
Androvsky。〃

〃Why　didn't　he　say　'my　wife'？〃　thought　De　Trevignac。　And　again　he
searched　his　memory。　Had　he　ever　met　this　man？　If　so；　where？〃

〃I　should　like　to　stay　in　the　desert　for　ever；〃　Domini　said　quickly；
with　a　long　look　at　her　husband。

〃I　should　not；　Madame；〃　De　Trevignac　said。

〃I　understand。　The　desert　has　shown　you　its　terrors。〃

〃Indeed　it　has。〃

〃But　to　us　it　has　only　shown　its　enchantment。　Hasn't　it？〃　She　spoke　to
Androvsky。　After　a　pause　he　replied：

〃Yes。〃

The　word；　when　it　came；　sounded　like　a　lie。

For　the　first　time　since　her　marriage　Domini　felt　a　cold；　like　a　cold
of　ice　about　her　heart。　Was　it　possible　that　Androvsky　had　not　shared
her　joy　in　the　desert？　Had　she　been　alone　in　her　happiness？　For　a
moment　she　sat　like　one　stunned　by　a　blow。　Then　knowledge；　reason；
spoke　in　her。　She　knew　of　Androvsky's　happiness　with　her；　knew　it
absolutely。　There　are　some　things　in　which　a　woman　cannot　be　deceived。
When　Androvsky　was　with　her　he　wanted　no　other　human　being。　Nothing
could　take　that　certainty　from　her。

〃Of　course；〃　she　said；　recovered；　〃there　are　places　in　the　desert　in
which　melancholy　seems　to　brood；　in　which　one　has　a　sense　of　the
terrors　of　the　wastes。　Mogar；　I　think；　is　one　of　them；　perhaps　the
only　one　we　have　been　in　yet。　This　evening；　when　I　was　sitting　under
the　tower；　even　I〃and　as　she　said　〃even　I〃　she　smiled　happily　at
Androvsky〃knew　some　forebodings。〃

〃Forebodings？〃　Androvsky　said　quickly。　〃Why　should　you？〃　He　broke
off。

〃Not　of　coming　misfortune；　I　hope；　Madame？〃　said　De　Trevignac　in　a
voice　that　was　now　irresistibly　cheerful。

He　wa