" she asked.

"I do not fear thy hate. When thou belongest to me, I will know how to
turn it into love."

"Perhaps if I were a girl of thine own people thou wouldst know, but I
see now that thy soul and my soul are far apart. If thou art so wicked,
so treacherous, they will never be nearer together."

"The Koran does not teach us to believe that the souls of women are as
ours."

"I have read. And if there were no other reason than that, it would be
enough to put a high wall between me and a man of thy race."

For the first time Maieddine felt anger against the girl. But it did not
make him love or want her the less.

"Thy sister did not feel that," he said, almost menacingly.

"Then the more do I feel it. Is it wise to use her as an argument?"

"I need no argument," he answered, sullenly. "I have told thee what is
in my mind. Give me thy love, and thou canst bend me as thou wilt.
Refuse it, and I will break thee. No! do not try to run from me. In an
instant I should have thee in my arms. Even if thou couldst reach
M'Barka, of what use to grasp her dress and cry to her for help against
me? She would not give it. My will is law to her, as it must be to thee
if thou wilt not learn wisdom, and how to hold me by a thread of silk, a
thread of thy silky hair. No one would listen to thee. Not Fafann, not
the men of the Soudan. It is as if we two were alone in the desert.
Dost thou understand?"

"Thou hast made me understand. I will not try to run. Thou hast the
power to take me, since thou hast forgotten thy bond of honour, and thou
art stronger than I. Yet will I not live to be thy wife, Si Maieddine.
Wouldst thou hold a dead girl in thine arms?"

"I would hold thee dead or living. Thou wouldst be living at first; and
a moment with thine heart beating against mine would be worth a
lifetime--perhaps worth eternity."

"Wouldst thou take me if--if I love another man?"

He caught her by the shoulders, and his hands were hard as steel.
"Darest thou to tell me that thou lovest a man?"

"Yes, I dare," she said. "Kill me if thou wilt. Since I have no earthly
help against thee, kill my body, and let God take my spirit where thou
canst never come. I love another man."

"Tell me his name, that I may find him."

"I will not. Nothing thou canst do will make me tell thee."

"It is that man who was with thee on the boat."

"I said I would not tell thee."

He shook her between his hands, so that the looped-up braids of h