ve this power, receiving it
direct from Allah, or inheriting it from a pious saint--father or more
distant relative--who handed down the maraboutship. Therefore, if she
had time and inclination, she could probably learn from any devout
Mussulman the abiding places of all such famous saints as remained upon
the earth. In that way, by setting her wits to work, she might guess the
secret if Si Maieddine still tried to make a mystery of their
destination. But, somehow, she felt that it would not be fair to seek
information which he did not want her to have. She must go on trusting
him, and by and by he would tell her all she wanted to know.

Lella M'Barka had invited her guest to sit on cushions beside the divan
where she lay, and the interest in her feverish eyes, which seldom left
Victoria's face, was so intense as to embarrass the girl.

"Thou hast wondrous hair," she said, "and when it is unbound it must be
a fountain of living gold. Is it some kind of henna grown in thy
country, which dyes it that beautiful colour?"

Victoria told her that Nature alone was the dyer.

"Thou art not yet affianced; that is well," murmured the invalid. "Our
young girls have their hair tinted with henna when they are betrothed,
that they may be more fair in the eyes of their husbands. But thou
couldst scarcely be lovelier than thou art; for thy skin is of pearl,
though there is no paint upon it, and thy lips are pink as rose petals.
Yet a little messouak to make them scarlet, like coral, and kohl to
give thine eyes lustre would add to thy brilliancy. Also the hand of
woman reddened with henna is as a brazier of rosy flame to kindle the
heart of a lover. When thou seest thy sister, thou wilt surely find that
she has made herself mistress of these arts, and many more."

"Canst thou tell me nothing of her, Lella M'Barka?"

"Nothing, save that I have a friend who has said she was fair. And it is
not many moons since I heard that she was blessed with health."

"Is she happy?" Victoria was tempted to persist.

"She should be happy. She is a fortunate woman. Would I could tell thee
more, but I live the life of a mole in these days, and have little
knowledge. Thou wilt see her with thine own eyes before long, I have no
doubt. And now comes food which my women have prepared for thee. In my
house, all are people of the desert, and we keep the desert customs,
since my husband has been gathered to his fathers--my husband, to whose
house in Algi