uard suddenly came to a standstill, forming a circle round the
two camels, who had haughtily condescended to kneel, as Jill with her
hand in that of her chaperon, passing between rows of salaaming
servants, wondering what had become of Hahmed, and where she was going,
and if tea could possibly be forthcoming instead of coffee, entered a
courtyard, beautiful beyond words, and passing through the gates
leading to the harem, heard them shut behind her; whilst with little
cries of greeting, the four wives and many inhabitants of this secluded
spot swept down upon her, their dainty, henna-tipped fingers quickly
removing her cloak and veil, their little exclamations of astonishment
testifying to their appreciation of the radiant little vision who
smiled so sweetly upon them, and returned their greetings in such
prettily broken Arabic.

Only one contretemps had marred the perfect organisation of the
proceedings, and that happened when the advance guard, turning a corner
at full speed, regardless of the life and limbs of the seething mass of
adults, babies, and dogs, had found themselves forced to edify the
spectators with an exhibition of _haute ecole_, as their terrified
horses, suddenly rearing, pawed the quivering air above a brace of
camels, who had lawlessly and obstinately stretched themselves forth
upon the soft bed of mud and house garbage spread liberally throughout
one of the narrowest streets in El-Katia.

Proddings of spears, and kickings of tender anatomical portions
availing nothing, the last means for the hasty moving of obstreperous
camels had been resorted to with success.

The following is the recipe:

Take two or more camels, fully laden for choice, stretched at length
across a narrow street. For removal of same, apply a vigorous drubbing
by means of a stick or sticks. If no result, apply foot with yet more
vigour. If this fails, gather an armful of good dry straw, fix it
cunningly under the animal's belly, apply match, and fly for your life
to the nearest sanctuary.

CHAPTER XXXIV

Jill had been married a fortnight. Everything down to the minutest
detail had passed off perfectly, everything had been duly signed and
sealed and conducted in the most orthodox and binding manner, leaving
the witnesses breathless at the thought of the land, jewels, houses,
and cattle with which Hahmed the Arab endowed this woman who brought
him nothing excepting beauty, which was not exactly beauty, but rather