find us."

And Jill came quite suddenly out of her reverie when asked if she would
like to go outside for coffee and cigarettes. "For though the moon in
her youth has gone early to bed, the stars are shining like your eyes."

"Oh," said she, as she got into a half-sitting position, "I thought we
should have to pack up; it's late already, isn't it?"

"You are tired from unaccustomed travelling, and your limbs must ache,
therefore if it pleases you we will wait until to-morrow night, so that
with many baths and much refreshing sleep you will feel glad to mount
your camel, who is not the begotten daughter of sin, Taffadaln, and
come still further into the desert."

So Jill went outside the tent and looked up to the blazing stars, and
the soft wind blew her hair so that a burnished red-gold perfumed
strand fell across the man's mouth, and behold he trembled, for great
was his desire, but greater still his love for this woman.

And when she sat down upon the cushions he stood apart and watched her,
until a little hand, like a white moth fluttering in the dark, beckoned
him, and he moved towards her and sat at her feet; and the wind,
whispered to the palms and the hours fled as the English girl lay on
the cushions and listened, and she had learnt of many things before she
rose and passed into her tent to sleep again.

Hahmed was of Southern Arabia, and therefore with truth could claim
direct descent from Kahtan. He was the first-born of the great Sheik
el Has'ad, his father, and his favourite wife who, on her marriage,
besides much wealth, had brought a dowry of purest blood, and wonderful
beauty, to her lord and master, so that the man who sat at the English
girl's feet under the stars, and who trembled at her nearness was _pur
sang_, and further than that you cannot go.

Worshipped by his father, idolised by his mother, at the age of ten he
bad been betrothed to the daughter, aged seven, of the Sheik el Banjad.
She was also _pur sang_, and already of looks promising great beauty.

And so he had grown in the warmth of his parents' love, trained in what
we call outdoor sports, but which are life itself to the Arab, until at
fourteen no one could surpass him in running or horsemanship or
spear-throwing, whilst with rifle or revolver he could clip the hair
off the top of a man's head, the which strenuous accomplishments he
balanced in passing his leisure moments in the gentle arts of
verse-making and even music, in sp