said "Thank you," and
smiled sweetly into the grave face which showed no sign of a pulse
disturbed by a thudding heart. And then Jill sat down again upon her
cushions, drawing her knees up under her chin and clasping them with
her hands, and the shadow of the man falling upon her, left her well
content, and still more content did she feel when he stretched himself
full length beside her and continued speaking.

"Where are we going? Oh woman, who has placed her hand in mine, we
journey to my own country, unto the desert of Arabia, until we shall
come to the place which was mine, but now is yours. Although, verily,
it is unworthy of your eyes, you will bear with it for a few moons,
until a habitation worthy of your beauty is erected. Nay, as oasis, it
is not over large, but it is fertile beyond thought. Many have essayed
to steal it by force of arms, or buy it, but I prevailed through the
magic of much wealth and the virtue of patience. I bought it bit by
bit from those who owned it, and now they rent it from me--I did not
want their money, but I desired to make the ground productive and the
people happy.

"The grain plains require good workmen, also my date groves, my
paddocks, and stables for camels and horses. The fruit and vegetables
and other produce, which were once mine and now are yours, are
cultivated and tended by some hundreds of especially trained men, who,
with their wives and numerous offspring, live in the shadow of the
acacia, loving, quarrelling, hating, dying, but always happy. My own
habitation is in the shade of the palms, removed from the unseemly
wailing of children and barking of dogs, and as I have told you, no
woman has placed foot therein, save for the hunchback. Verily the flat
oasis is unique in the desert annals, and to bring unto perfection
requires but a son to take on the work, when these mine hands are
clasped in the handshake of death."

But those very hands showed no sign of their master's desire to close
them upon those clasped whitely round the girl's knees, neither did his
voice portray the desire of possession raging within him as he
continued speaking.

"If later you should desire to travel, then shall the boats, the cars
which were mine, but are now yours, be at your disposal, so that in
comfort shall your journey be made, wiping out the bitter memory of
this your first."

But there was no doubt about it that Jill was suffering acutely from a
cumulative fatigue, eng