g down. She was afraid to know the thing
which Ourieda wanted her to do; yet she must know--and make up her mind.
It seemed as if there were nothing she could refuse, still----

"What is it you mean?" she whispered back, the two heads leaning
together over a frame of bright embroidery in Ourieda's lap, and the
tinkle of the fountain drowning the soft voices, even if the chatter at
the door of Leila Mabrouka's room above had not covered the secret
words.

"When I said there was a thing I would ask, if the worst came," Ourieda
repeated, "I meant one of two things. If thou wilt do either, they are
for thee to choose between. But thou wilt think them both terrible, and
my only hope is that thou lovest me."

"You know I do," Sanda breathed.

"Enough to do what I am too poor a coward to do for myself, and Embarka
has refused to do?"

"Not--oh, no, no, you can't mean----"

"Yes, thou hast guessed. No one need ever suspect. I would think of a
way. I've thought of one already. There'd be no pain for me. And yet--I
suppose because I am young and my blood runs hot in my veins, I fear--I
am sure--I couldn't, when the moment came, do it myself."

"Even for you, I can't be a murderess," Sanda said miserably, almost
apologetically.

"It is thy strange Christian superstition which makes thee call it that.
It would be our fate; and thou couldst go away and be happy, feeling
thou hadst saved me from life which is worse than death sometimes.
Still, if thou wilt not, there is the other thing. Will thou help me to
escape?"

"Oh, yes!" cried Sanda.

"Wait till thou hast heard my plan. Maybe thou wilt change thy mind."

"I feel sure I shan't change it."

"But the plan may make thee hate me, and think I am cruel and selfish,
caring for no one except myself. Besides, there will be lies to tell;
and I know thou dost not like lies, though to me they seem no harm if
they are to do good in the end."

"Tell me the plan."

Ourieda told it, while overhead on the balcony her Aunt
Mabrouka--Tahar's mother--chatted of the merchants in Djazerta who sold
silks from Tunis and perfumes from Algiers.

The plan was very hateful, very dangerous and treacherous. But--it was
to save Ourieda. The Arab girl proposed to Sanda that she should pretend
to have a letter from Colonel DeLisle calling her back at once to
Sidi-bel-Abbes, not giving her even time to wait for the wedding. Ben
Raana would reluctantly consent to her going: he would give her