er.

"How can one, born as I, know his mother?" replied Abdullah.

"And you," said the lawyer, turning to Nicha, "who is your father?"

"Ilderhim of El Merb," she answered.

"And your mother?" asked the lawyer.

"She died before I can remember."

"Her father, Ilderhim," said the _oukil_, "signs the invoice which you
have read. He does not consent."

"He is nobody," said the lawyer. "He was banished from Algeria years
ago. It is as though he had never existed."

"I had overlooked that," said the _oukil_; and then he added, "As the
mistake this time is mine, perhaps you will again shake hands."

"No," said the lawyer; "I pay penance only when I am in the wrong."

The _oukil_ bowed low, but when he drew himself up to his full height
there was murder in his eye.

"Well," said the commandant, "what is the solution?"

"I advise you," said the lawyer, "that this contract comes under the
law of France and is void, because it is immoral and opposed to public
policy. It comes under the law of France because the young woman is a
Christian and has married a Christian. The religious marriage is
complete. The civil marriage is only delayed that the young woman may
present proofs of her mother's death. Her father is already civilly
dead."

"Mirza," said the commandant, "do you hear?"

"Yes," she said, "I hear, and, being a woman, I am accustomed to such
decisions. I pay thirty ounces to Ilderhim for two years' hire of a
girl. The girl turns Christian and I lose the thirty ounces."

"Not so," said Abdullah; "they are here," and he placed a bag upon the
commandant's table.

"Take it," said Mirza; and she tossed it to the _oukil_.

"To make his contract good," she continued, "Ilderhim, my former
husband, pays sixteen or seventeen ounces' freight on the girl and her
maid. The girl turns Christian. Who loses the freight?"

"I," said Abdullah, and he placed another bag upon the table.

"Take it," said Mirza, and the _oukil_ grasped it.

"Let us see this girl who has kept us all up so late," said Mirza, and
she strode over to Nicha. Abdullah put out his hand to keep her off.

"You've won," she said; "why be disagreeable? Let us see what you have
gained and I have lost," and she stripped the veil and the outer
garment from the girl, who sat passive. When the veil and the burnoose
fell, the beauty of the girl filled the room as would a perfume.

The commandant and the lawyer sat speechless, gazing. The _oukil_ wrung