h blue satin.

"So much beauty and splendor immediately moved the Tuareg and,
especially, Clementine's right-hand neighbor, El-Hadj-ben-Guemama,
brother of Sheik Otham and Sultan of Ahaggar. By the time the soup
arrived, a bouillon of wild game, seasoned with Tokay, he was already
much smitten. When they served the compote of fruits Martinique _a la
liqueur de Mme. Amphoux_, he showed every indication of illimitable
passion. The Cyprian wine _de la Commanderie_ made him quite sure of
his sentiments. Hortense kicked my foot under the table. Gramont,
intending to do the same to Anna, made a mistake and aroused the
indignant protests of one of the Tuareg. I can safely say that when
the time came to go to Mabille, we were enlightened as to the manner
in which our visitors respected the prohibition decreed by the Prophet
in respect to wine.

"At Mabille, while Clementine, Hortense, Anna, Ludovic and the three
Tuareg gave themselves over to the wildest gallops, Sheik Otham took
me aside and confided to me, with visible emotion, a certain
commission with which he had just been charged by his brother, Sheik
Ahmed.

"The next day, very early, I reached Clementine's house.

"'My dear,' I began, after having waked her, not without difficulty,
'listen to me. I want to talk to you seriously.'

"She rubbed her eyes a bit crossly.

"'How did you like that young Arabian gentleman who was so taken with
you last night?'

"'Why, well enough,' she said, blushing.

"'Do you know that in his country, he is the sovereign prince and
reigns over territories five or six times greater than those of our
august master, the Emperor Napoleon III?'

"'He murmured something of that kind to me,' she said, becoming
interested.

"'Well, would it please you to mount on a throne, like our august
sovereign, the Empress Eugenie?'

"Clementine, looked startled.

"'His own brother, Sheik Otham, has charged me in his name to make
this offer.'

"Clementine, dumb with amazement, did not reply.

"'I, Empress!' she finally stammered.

"'The decision rests with you. They must have your answer before
midday. If it is 'yes,' we lunch together at Voisin's, and the bargain
is made.'

"I saw that she had already made up her mind, but she thought it well
to display a little sentiment.

"'And you, you!' she groaned. 'To leave you thus.... Never!'

"'No foolishness, dear child,' I said gently. 'You don't know perhaps
that I am ruined. Yes, completel