en darkness fell over the dark place, and the
prisoners tied up their cotton headkerchiefs and lay down to sleep,
'Larby sat beside Israel's place with sighs and moans and other symptoms
of a dejected air.

"Sidi, master," he faltered, "I had a little brother once, and he was
blind. Born blind, Sidi, my own mother's son. But you wouldn't think how
happy he was for all that? You see, Sidi he never missed anything, and
so his little face was like laughing water! By Allah! I loved that boy
better than all the world! Women? Why--well, never mind! He was six and
I was eighteen, and he used to ride on my back! Black curls all over,
Sidi, and big white eyes that looked at you for all they couldn't see.
Well a bleeder came from Soos--curse his great-grandfather! Looked at
little Hosain--'Scales!' said he--burn his father! Bleed him and he'll
see! So they bled him, and he did see. By Allah! yes, for a minute--half
a minute! 'Oh, 'Larby,' he cried--I was holding him; then he--he--'
'Larby,' he cried faint, like a lamb that's lost in the mountains--and
then--and then--'Oh, oh, 'Larby,' he moaned Sidi, Sidi, I _paid_ that
bleeder--there and then--_this_ way! That's why I'm here!"

It was a lie, but 'Larby acted it so well that his voice broke in his
throat, and great drops fell from his eyes on to Israel's hand.

The effect on Israel himself was strange and even startling. While
'Larby was speaking, he was beating his forehead and mumbling: "Where?
When? Naomi!" as if grappling for lost treasures in an ebbing sea.
And when 'Larby finished, he fell on him with reproaches. "And you are
weeping for that?" he cried. "You think it much that the sweet child is
dead--God rest him! So it is to the like of you, but look at me!"

His voice betrayed a grim pride in his miseries. "Look at me! Am
I weeping? No; I would scorn to weep. But I have more cause a
thousandfold. Listen! Once I was rich; but what were riches without
children? Hard bread with no water for sop. I asked God for a child. He
gave me a daughter; but she was born blind and dumb and deaf. I asked
God to take my riches and give her hearing. He gave her hearing; but
what was hearing without speech? I asked God to take all I had and give
her speech. He gave her speech, but what was speech without sight?
I asked God to take my place from me and give her sight. He gave her
sight, and I was cast out of the town like a beggar. What matter? She
had all, and I was forgiven. But when