rry has
eluded the traps laid by the henna-tipped fingers of relentless hunters
and huntresses. Wealth! It buys peace and freedom, O! woman, so let
not your thoughts disturb you. You will be the greatest woman in all
Egypt and Arabia--but listen, some one sings the bridal song, which has
come down to us unchanged from the time of the great Sesostris."
CHAPTER XXXI
The love-song broke the stillness of the desert night with the
suddenness and sweetness of the nightingale's call in the depths of an
English garden, laden with the perfume of June roses.
So softly as to be hardly distinguished from a whisper, the wonderful
voice called--called again and stopped, whilst the stars seemed to
gather closer until the sky hung as a canopy of softest purple velvet
picked out in silver lightings over the heads of those who listened to
the call of love, and from very ecstasy were still.
Again, and yet again, the voice cried aloud to its hearts desire,
rising like incense from some hidden spot in the village, twining among
the feathery leaves of the palms to drop like golden rain upon the
heart of some maiden, who doubtless sat upon her roof-top, modestly
veiled if in company of friends or relations, but otherwise, I am
positively certain, might be found peeking over the top of the
balustrade as have peeked the hearts' desires from the beginning of all
time.
Jill's face was white as death, as she too sat motionless, listening to
the love-song, whilst her great eyes blazing like the stars above
watched the man at her feet.
Closely veiled was she, for this was the eve of her wedding journey to
Cairo, also had the spirit of perversity prevailed within her for the
last month, causing her to resemble the coldness, warmth, eastiness,
sweetness, and general warpiness of the English climate, sparkling one
day with the dew-drop-on-the-grass-freshness of an early summer
morning, to hang the next as passing heavy on the hand as the November
fog upon the new hat brim; veering within twelve hours to the sharpness
of the East wind, which braces skin and temper to cracking point, and
to make up for it all, for one whole hour in the twenty-four,
resembling the exquisite moment of the June morning, in which you find
the first half-open rose upon the bush just outside your breakfast-room.
She was consumed with love of the man who lay at her feet, with the hem
of her rose-satin veil against his lips, and her heart had melted
with
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