as "Rose" (Ourieda in
Arabic); but as M'Barka gave her that name also, the girl could hardly
object.

"I tell thee, instead it may bring thee evil."

"For good or evil, I will have the fortune now," Maieddine insisted.

"Be it upon thy head, oh cousin, not mine. Take thy handful of sand, and
make thy wish."

Maieddine took it from the place Victoria had touched, and his wish was
that, as the grains of sand mingled, so their destinies might mingle
inseparably, his and hers.

M'Barka traced the three rows of mystic signs, and read her notebook,
mumbling. But suddenly she let it drop into her lap, covering the signs
with both thin hands.

"What ails thee?" Maieddine asked, frowning.

"I saw thee stand still and let an opportunity slip by."

"I shall not do that."

"The sand has said it. Shall I stop, or go on?"

"Go on."

"I see another chance to grasp thy wish. This time thou stretchest out
thine hand. I see thee, in a great house--the house of one thou knowest,
whose name I may not speak. Thou stretchest out thine hand. The chance
is given thee----"

"What then?"

"Then--I cannot tell thee, what then. Thou must not ask. My eyes are
clouded with sleep. Come Ourieda, it is late. Let us go to our tent."

"No," said Maieddine. "Ourieda may go, but not thou."

Victoria rose quickly and lightly from among the jackal skins and
Touareg cushions which Maieddine had provided for her comfort. She bade
him good night, and with all his old calm courtesy he kissed his hand
after it had pressed hers. But there was a fire of anger or impatience
in his eyes.

Fafann was in the tent, waiting to put her mistress to bed, and to help
the Roumia if necessary. The mattresses which had come rolled up on the
brown mule's back, had been made into luxurious looking beds, covered
with bright-coloured, Arab-woven blankets, beautiful embroidered sheets
of linen, and cushions slipped into fine pillow-cases. Folding frames
draped with new mosquito nettings had been arranged to protect the
sleepers' hands and faces; and there was a folding table on which stood
French gilt candlesticks and a glass basin and water-jug, ornamented
with gilded flowers; just such a basin and jug as Victoria had seen in
the curiosity-shop of Mademoiselle Soubise. There were folded towels,
too, of silvery damask.

"What wonderful things we have!" the girl exclaimed. "I don't see how we
manage to carry them all. It is like a story of the 'Arabian Nights,'