d
prove, not his willingness, but his ability to bring his father's people
into the field.

"Go to the douar," he said, "and talk with the chief men. Then bring
back letters from them, or send if thou wilt, and the girl shall be thy
wife. I shall indeed be gratified by the connection between thine
illustrious family and mine."

Maieddine had expected this, though he had hoped that his eloquence
might persuade the marabout to a more impulsive agreement. "I will do
what thou askest," he answered, "though it means delay, and delay is
hard to bear. When I passed through the douar, my father's chief caids
were on the point of leaving for Algiers, to do honour to the Governor
by showing themselves at the yearly ball. They will have started before
I can reach the douar again, by the fastest travelling, for as thou
knowest, I should be some days on the way."

"Go then to Algiers, and meet them. That is best, and will be quicker,
since journeying alone, thou canst easily arrive at Touggourt in three
days from here. In two more, by taking a carriage and relays of horses,
thou canst be at Biskra; and after that, there remains but the seventeen
hours of train travelling."

"How well thou keepest track of all progress, though things were
different when thou wast last in the north," Maieddine said.

"It is my business to know all that goes on in my own country, north,
south, east, and west. When wilt thou start?"

"To-night."

"Thou art indeed in earnest! Thou wilt of course pay thine own respects
to the Governor? I will send him a gift by thee, since there is no
reason he should not know that we have met. The mission on which thou
wert ostensibly travelling brought thee to the south."

"I will take thy gift and messages with pleasure." Maieddine said. "It
was expected that I should return for the ball, and present myself in
place of my father, who is too old now for such long journeys; but I
intended to make my health an excuse for absence. I should have pleaded
a touch of the sun, and a fever caught in the marshes while carrying out
the mission. Indeed, it is true that I am subject to fever. However, I
will go, since thou desirest. The ball, which was delayed, is now fixed
for a week from to-morrow. I will show myself for some moments, and the
rest of the night I can devote to a talk with the caids. I know what the
result will be. And a fortnight from to-morrow thou wilt see me here
again with the letters."

"I believe