Let her be taken into the house," said the Sheikhel-beled. Turning to
the holy men, he added: "Ye and the Inglesi shall hear."

When they were within the house, the woman was brought in and stood
before them.

"Speak," said the Sheikh-el-beled to her roughly. She kept her eyes
fixed on Dicky as she spoke: "For the thing I have done I shall answer.
I had no joy in the harem. I gave no child to my lord, though often I
put my tongue to the sacred pillar of porphyry in the Mosque of Amrar.
My lord's love went from me. I was placed beneath another in the
harem.... Was it well? Did I not love my lord? was the sin mine that no
child was born to him? It is written that a woman's prayers are of no
avail, that her lord must save her at the last, if she hath a soul to be
saved.... Was the love of my lord mine?" She paused, caught a corner of
her robe and covered her face.

"Speak on, O woman of many sorrows," said Dicky. She partly uncovered
her face, and spoke again: "In the long night, when he came not and
I was lonely and I cried aloud, and only the jackals beyond my window
answered, I thought and thought. My brain was wild, and at last I said:
'Behold, I will go to Mecca as the men go, and when the fire rises from
the Prophet's tomb, bringing blessing and life to all, it may be that I
shall have peace, and win heaven as men win it. For behold! what is my
body but a man's body, for it beareth no child. And what is my soul but
a man's soul, that dares to do this thing!'..."

"Thou art a blasphemer," broke in the chief of the Ulema.

She gave no heed, but with her eyes on Dicky continued:

"So I stole forth in the night with an old slave, who was my father's
slave, and together we went to Cairo.... Behold, I have done all that
Dervishes do: I have cut myself with knives, I have walked the desert
alone, I have lain beneath the feet of the Sheikh's horse when he makes
his ride over the bodies of the faithful, I have done all that a woman
may do and all that a man may do, for the love I bore my lord. Now judge
me as ye will, for I may do no more."

When she had finished, Dicky turned to the Sheikhel-beled and said: "She
is mad. Behold, Allah hath taken her wits! She is no more than a wild
bird in the wilderness."

It was his one way to save her; for among her people the mad, the blind,
and the idiot are reputed highly favoured of God.

The Sheikh-el-beled shook his head. "She is a blasphemer. Her words are
as the words of