er hair
fell down, as they had fallen when she danced, and the ends loosened
into curls. She looked like a pale child, and suddenly a great
tenderness for her melted his heart. He had never known that feeling
before, and it was very strange to him; for when he had loved, it had
been with passion, not with tenderness.

"Little white star," he said, "thou art but a babe, and I will not
believe that any man has ever touched thy mouth with his lips. Am I
right?"

"Yes, because he does not love me. It is I who love him, that is all,"
she answered naively. "I only knew how I really felt when thou saidst
thou wouldst make me love thee, for I was so sure that never, never
couldst thou do that. And I shall love the other man all my life, even
though I do not see him again."

"Thou shalt never see him again. For a moment, oh Rose, I hated thee,
and I saw thy face through a mist red as thy blood and his, which I
wished to shed. But thou art so young--so white--so beautiful. Thou hast
come so far with me, and thou hast been so sweet. There is a strange
pity for thee in my breast, such as I have never known for any living
thing. I think it must be that thou hast magic in thine eyes. It is as
if thy soul looked out at me through two blue windows, and I could fall
down and worship, Allah forgive me! I knew no man had kissed thee. And
the man thou sayest thou lovest is but a man in a dream. This is my
hour. I must not let my chance slip by, M'Barka told me. Yet promise me
but one thing and I will hold thee sacred--I swear on the head of my
father."

"What is the one thing?"

"That if thy sister Lella Saida puts thine hand in mine, thou wilt be my
wife."

The girl's face brightened, and the great golden dunes, silvering now in
moonlight, looked no longer like terrible waves ready to overwhelm her.
She was sure of Saidee, as she was sure of herself.

"That I will promise thee," she said.

He looked at her thoughtfully. "Thou hast great confidence in thy
sister."

"Perfect confidence."

"And I----" he did not finish his sentence. "I am glad I did not wait
longer," he went on instead. "Thou knowest now that I love thee, that
thou hast by thy side a man and not a statue. And I have not let my
chance slip by, because I have gained thy promise."

"If Saidee puts my hand in thine."

"It is the same thing."

"Thou dost not know my sister."

"But I know----" Again he broke off abruptly. There were things it were
better not t