You are returning once more, my dear Louis, to your favourite occupation
of knocking down skittles which you have set up yourself, and are trying
to exercise your humorous spirit at my expense.
You tell me that my Oriental system of life crumbles away upon contact
with the hard world, and with those sentiments which I venture to class
among the antiquated prejudices of a worn-out civilisation.
You do not perceive, you subtle scoffer, that every one of your
arguments can be turned against you to establish the superiority of the
customs of the harem. Can't you see that all these mishaps, these
troubles, and these outbursts of jealousy, which you have intentionally
magnified, originate solely in Kondjé-Gul's emancipation from the harem,
and that none of them would have occurred if I had not departed from
Turkish usages? Consider on the one hand the tranquillity of my amours
with Zouhra, Nazli, and Hadidjé, my easy life with them, as a poet and a
sultan, secure from all annoying rivalries, and on the other hand look
at these difficulties and contests arising all at once out of our social
conventionalities.
I do not really know why I should waste any more time discussing the
question with you.
Being now confident that after the declaration which Madame Murrah would
next day make to my aunt, Kondjé-Gul would be freed henceforth from the
importunities of Count Kiusko, I soon recovered my peace of mind. I
entertained no doubts as to the effect which such a decisive answer
would produce upon Daniel. I knew that he was too deeply in love not to
feel the blow severely.
I expected, accordingly, to hear that he was mourning in some secluded
retreat over his lost hopes. For him to see Kondjé-Gul again after such
an unqualified refusal would only revive his sorrows and cause him more
suffering. More than this, it would place her in an uncomfortable
position since his declaration of love to her. But while I was
convincing myself as to this necessity for him to break off his
relations with her, great was my surprise at seeing him reappear among
us the following day as calm as ever, and just as if no unpleasant
incident had befallen him. Time went on, and still there was no change
in this respect. One might even have said, to judge from his easy
demeanour and from a certain increase of assurance in his manner, that
he felt confident in the future success of his endeavours, and was only
waiting for the happy moment when his aspirations would be realized.
I could not help being puzzled by this remarkable result of a decided
rejection of his suit, but as I had so plainly avoided my rival's
confidences in my embarrassment at the part I was playing, I could not
now attempt to regain them. I began to suspect that Kondjé-Gul's mother
had rehearsed her part imperfectly, and at last made up my mind to
question my aunt discreetly on this point.
"By the by, my dear aunt," I said to her one morning in a perfectly
unconcerned tone of voice, "you have not told me anything more about
Kiusko's intended marriage."
"Ah, there is no longer any question of it!" she answered me. "He
presented himself too late: the fair Kondjé-Gul's heart is occupied. She
is even engaged to one of her own relations I hear."
"Then he seems to me to be bearing his disappointment very easily."
"Oh, don't be too sure about that! Daniel is not one of those whining
lovers who publish their lamentations to the whole world. He loves her,
as I could see by his sudden paleness when I announced to him the
definite rejection of his offer; but he has an iron will, and you may be
certain that if he is so calm, that only shows he still cherishes some
hope. As for me, I won't believe in Kondjé-Gul's marriage with her
cousin, until I see them coming out of church together."
Now although it was of small consequence to me that Kiusko, in his
robust faith, still preserved a remnant of hope, I must admit that I
felt somewhat aggravated by his presumptuous pertinacity. As he had
formally declared his love, Kondjé-Gul could not henceforth feign to
ignore it. There was an offensive kind of impertinence to her about that
coolness of his, which affected to take no account of an engagement of
which she had informed him as a justification for her refusal. However
reserved he might be, and even if he never betrayed by a single word the
secret feeling which he concealed so carefully during our intercourse as
friends, it would be impossible for me not to feel the constraint of
such a situation. So far as he was concerned, it did not seem to trouble
him in the least. This demeanour, and this insolent confidence of
his--such as might be expected in a petty feudal tyrant--irritated me
inexpressibly; but an incident occurred, at first sight insignificant,
which diverted the current of my suspicions into quite a different
channel.
One morning, about ten o'clock, I was accompanying my aunt upon one of
her rounds of visiting the poor. As we happened to be passing Count
Téral's house, I was very much surprised to see Daniel coming out of it.
What had he been doing there? This was Kondjé-Gul's lesson time, and
certainly not the time of day for callers. This discovery put me into a
state of agitation which it was extremely difficult for me to avoid
showing.
I reflected, however, that it was quite possible Maud or Susannah had
entrusted him with a message or with some book, which he had come to
deliver. However that might be, I wanted to clear up the mystery. When
half-way down the Champs Elysées, I pretended to have an order to give
to a coachmaker, and leaving my aunt to return home alone, I went back
to Téral House.
As I had anticipated, Kondjé-Gul was shut up with her music-mistress. I
sent up my name in the ordinary way, and was immediately introduced.
"What! is it you?" she said, pretending before her mistress to be
surprised at such an early visit. "Have you come to play a duet with
me?"
"No," I answered, "I was passing by this way, and I will only trouble
you long enough to find out if you have formed any plans for to-day with
your friends the Montagues."
"None," she replied, "beyond that they are expecting me at three
o'clock."
"Then they did not send you any message this morning?"
"No. Has anything happened?" she added in Turkish.
"Nothing whatever," I replied, with a laugh. "My aunt brought me this
way, so I thought I would come and say good morning to you."
"How kind and nice of you!" she said, with evident warmth.
She had not left her piano, and I remained standing, so as to show that
I had only called on my way, to receive her orders. I shook hands with
her, saying that I did not wish to interrupt her lessons any more, and
took my departure.
It was evident that Kondjé knew nothing about Daniel's visit. On my way
out I spoke to Fanny, and gave her some instructions, telling her that I
was going to send some flowers. This girl was quite devoted to me, and
her discretion might be perfectly relied upon. However, as I did not
wish her to think that I was questioning her about her mistress, I asked
her in an indifferent manner if the count had not brought anything for
me.
"I don't know, sir," she answered. "The count came an hour ago, but he
told me to send in his name to Mademoiselle Kondjé's mother, who was
expecting him, I think, and who ordered me to show him into the small
drawing-room, where she went to see him. When he left, he said nothing
to me."
"Did he say nothing to Pierre?" I added.
"Pierre was not in, sir," replied Fanny. "The count only spoke to Madame
Murrah."
"Ah, very well!" I said, carelessly.
These inquiries had led me to a curious discovery. What was the meaning
of this private interview between Kondjé's mother and Daniel? Determined
to get to the bottom of this mystery, I went up without any more ado to
Madame Murrah's private sitting-room. She did not appear surprised, from
which I concluded that she knew I was in the house, and was prepared to
see me. For my part I pretended to have come to settle some details
connected with the house and the stables, for I was obliged to assist
her in the management of all her domestic affairs. She listened to what
I said with that deferential sort of smile which she invariably assumes
with me. When she was quite absorbed in the calculations which I had
submitted, I said to her all at once:
"By the way, what did Count Kiusko come here for so early in the day?"
I thought I noticed her face redden, but this was only a transient
impression.
"The count?" she answered, in a most profoundly surprised tone. "I did
not see him! Has he been here?"
"Why, Fanny showed him in here," I replied, "and you have spoken to
him."
"Ah, yes! _this morning_," she exclaimed sharply, and with emphasis on
these words. "Goodness me, what a poor head I have! I thought you said
_yesterday evening_. I understand French so badly, you know. Yes, yes,
he has been here. The poor young man is off his head. This is the second
time he has been here to beg me for Kondjé-Gul's hand. He is quite
crazy! crazy!"
"Oh, then he has been before! But why did not you inform me?"
"It is true: I had forgotten to do so!" she replied.
I deemed it useless to appear to press her any more on the matter. Had
Madame Murrah tried to keep me in ignorance of these visits of Count
Kiusko's? Or was this merely a proof, or the contrary, of the slight
importance which she attached to them? In any case, for me to let her
see my distrust in her would only put her on her guard. So I broke off
the subject, and resumed my household instructions, as if I had remarked
nothing more important in this matutinal incident than the stupid
pertinacity of a discomfited lover. A quarter of an hour afterwards I
took my leave of her in quite a jaunty way.
Once out of the house, I considered the matter over calmly, and made my
reflections upon it. Had I, by accident, stumbled upon a plot, or was my
jealous mind alarmed without occasion by a foolish attempt which
Kondjé-Gul's mother could not avert? Accustomed as she was to a sort of
passive submission, had she allowed herself to be cowed by a man who
spoke in the tone of a master? Was it not possible that, in her
embarrassment with the part she had to play, she had let out rather more
than was prudent? Was anything more than this necessary in order to
explain Daniel's conduct?
Without any kind of scruple Kiusko brought to the contest all the savage
energy of a will constituted to bend everything before it. The choice of
instruments was a matter of small importance to a man of his nature, the
incompleteness of whose education had left him scarcely half-civilized.
Accustomed to have all his own way, he made straight for his object,
rushing like a bull at every obstacle. The suppleness of his Slavonic
character displayed itself in this desperate game, in which, the
happiness of his life was at stake. He loved Kondjé-Gul, as I knew full
well, with that blind love which admitted no compromise with reason.
With the mother as his ally, he no doubt conjectured that the marriage
would be brought about in accordance with Turkish custom without
Kondjé-Gul being consulted.
My first idea was to interfere violently and so frustrate this plot, but
enlightened upon those manoeuvres, which afforded me an explanation of
Daniel's incredible constancy after the repulse which he had sustained,
I could see the folly of any provocation on my part, and the consequent
danger of injuring Kondjé-Gul and perhaps creating a scandal. Henceforth
I hold the threads of these underhand intrigues: I am about to catch my
rival in his own trap and mislead him as much as I please.
These reflections calmed me a little. After all, would it not be insane
for me to lose my temper about a rivalry which, all said and done, was
only one of the innumerable incidents which I had foreseen as
consequences of Kondjé-Gul's beauty? Such beauty would of course attract
passionate admiration wherever she went. Good heavens! what would become
of me if I took any more notice of Kiusko than of the rest of them?
Besides, being informed now of all his movements, I was in a position to
intervene whenever it became necessary to put an end to his hostile
projects.
A great worry has come upon me, my friend.
I must tell you that there are some barracks in the Rue de Babylone;
from which it follows that a great many officers lodge in the vicinity.
Moreover, the garden of my house, although enclosed by a wall on the
boulevard side, is not sufficiently screened to prevent daring eyes from
peering into it from various neighbouring windows.
Now, as a few days of sunshine had favoured us with very mild weather,
my houris did not fail to go and stroll about the lawns. Naturally
enough they attracted the attention of some indiscreet persons whose
curiosity had been quickened by the apparent mystery of this closed
house, and by all the gossip in the neighbourhood about "the Turk." It
also happens that the house adjoining mine is tenanted by the colonel,
whence it results that from morn to eve, there is a constant coming and
going of sergeant-majors, lieutenants and captains, who rival one
another in casting fascinating glances upon this corner of Mahomet's
paradise.
I must do my houris the justice to say that they do not show themselves
unveiled; still I will leave you to imagine the agitation which they
cause among the whole regimental staff.
All this was certainly but an inconvenience which pure chance threw in
my way, amid my methodical experiments with the new manners and customs
of which I wish to show the superiority. It would not have been fitting
for a sincere psychologist to convert a purely adventitious difficulty
into a defeat; and the removal of my harem would have furnished a
specious argument for some detractor of my doctrines who would not have
failed to seize hold of this slight practical obstacle in order to raise
a controversy. Then, too, I should have been violating human dignity and
confessing the fragility of my system of social renovation if I had so
lowered myself as to completely sequestrate the women after the fashion
of some vile Asiatic satrap.
To be brief, I stood firm; and I conscientiously instructed Mohammed,
who was already alarmed, not to interfere with the freedom of their
diversions in the garden.
Being confident in the healthy effects of an application of the immortal
principles, I had ceased to busy myself about this affair, when, as I
arrived in the evening three days ago, I saw Mohammed hasten to me,
looking scared. With signs of acute emotion, he begged of me to hear him
privately, having an important communication to make.
I entered his room where I invited him to unbosom himself.
He then informed me--in a tone of genuine despair, I will admit--that
the honour of the harem and also his own were terribly compromised. In
point of fact, he had during the day surprised Zouhra at her window
corresponding by signs with a young and superb nobleman who had come to
one of the windows of the neighbouring house. This audacious lover,
judging by his military uniform, bedizened with gold lace, must at the
least be a _muchir_ or general.
Had a thunderbolt fallen at Mohammed's feet it certainly would not have
caused him greater consternation. The unfortunate fellow did not seem to
doubt for one moment what punishment awaited him. But I reassured him,
for as you may well suppose, with my system this useless practice is
destined to disappear as being superfluous: the dignified position of
eunuch not being compatible with our laws. However, under the
circumstances, I did not think that I could dispense with opening a
serious inquiry concerning this offence which, according to Mohammed,
had been perpetrated repeatedly for some days past. Even letters, thrown
over the walls, had been exchanged.
On the morrow then, I repaired to the house before the hour usually
selected for this correspondence, and placing myself on the upper floor,
I waited, screened by a curtain, thanks to which I could watch the
manoeuvres of the accomplices, at my ease. Mohammed was moaning like a
fallen man, deprived of his grandeur and dishonoured. I soon saw Zouhra
appear, charmingly adorned and carrying a nosegay in her hand; but the
other window, which had been indicated to me, remained unoccupied. After
ten minutes or so she became restless and began to pace up and down her
room in a way that conclusively proved her impatience.
Provided with a good opera-glass I carefully watched her goings-on.
Nearly half an hour elapsed. There was still nobody at the other window.
Mohammed, who became more and more downcast, was beginning to fear that
he would be unable to prove to me the full extent of my disgrace, when
suddenly the swift approach of my houri to her window betokened
something fresh. She lowered her nosegay by way of saluting, and my
glasses were at once turned to the direction in which she was darting
her glances.
On the third floor of the colonel's house I could see a splendid
drum-major in full uniform, with large epaulets, his chest bedizened
with broad gold braid and his hand resting upon his heart. As the room
was not high enough to accommodate the lofty plume towering above his
bearskin, my rival was leaning half out of the window, and his tricolour
insignium seemed to pierce the sky.
I remained dazzled at the sight of him: he glistened like the sun!
With Zouhra it had been love at first sight. The pantomimic business
gradually began on both sides; on the girl's part it was naïve and still
restrained; on the drum-major's, ardent and passionate, though now and
then he struck a contemplative attitude. He showed her a letter and she
showed him another one, which she held in readiness. The sight made a
flush rise to Mohammed's brow.
In presence of such avowals doubt was no longer possible. The drum-major
soon became emboldened and raised the tips of his fingers to his lips.
His kisses journeyed through space; and then with his hands clasped he
begged of Zouhra to return them.
I must confess that the wretched girl defended herself for a few minutes
with bashful reserve. But she was so pressed and implored that at last I
saw her weaken, and anxious and hesitating, she yielded.
I was betrayed!
Mohammed sank down, uttering a plaintive moan. For my own part I thought
of my uncle's misfortune. Was it fate?
However, my uncle is not the only man who comes from Marseilles; I also
come from that city, and although I am merely his nephew, I have at
times enough of his hot disposition to feel as he felt after similar
strokes of fate. Having been drawn into his irregular orbit, passing
through the same phases as he passed through, I must expect that nothing
will ever happen to me in the same way as it would happen to others,
himself excepted. Thus the similarity of our adventures--the drum-major
in my case taking the place of my uncle's Jean Bonaffé,--ought not to
have surprised me; it should have been foreseen like a philosophical
contingency previously inscribed in the book of destiny. And, indeed, to
tell the truth, I should have considered the slightest departure from
the precise law of fate illogical.
However, I was either in a bad disposition of mind or I had been too
suddenly and speedily awakened from the presumptuous quietude into which
I had sunk, for I will admit to you that on thinking over my case, I
experienced at the moment a singular feeling of astonishment.
Horns are like teeth, a witty woman once said: they hurt while they are
coming, but afterwards one manages to put up with them!
True as this remark of an experienced person may be, yet having my own
ideas as to these vain appendages which I could not prevent from
sprouting; and being, moreover, sufficiently provided with proofs which
I had duly weighed, my first idea was to dart head first athwart this
intrigue in which my dishonour was a certainty. Leaving Mohammed upon
the divan where he had stranded, I hastened by way of the stairs to the
guilty creature's room.
I softly opened the closed door, stepped gently over the carpet, and
approached her from behind in time to catch her just as she had one hand
on her heart and the other on her lips.
She gave a little shriek, while the drum-major, on seeing me appear so
suddenly, made a gesture of despair. Then he drew back with such haste
that his plume caught against the wall above the window, with the result
that his bearskin was knocked off, and turning a sommersault fell into
the courtyard.
Zouhra thereupon gave another shriek.
All this had occurred with the rapidity of a flash of lightning. My
rival, closing his window, had disappeared like a jack-in-the-box.
We were alone.
"Ah! ha!" I then said to the unworthy creature, "so this is your
conduct----"
She answered nothing; she still hoped, no doubt, that she would be able
to deny the facts, with the brazen assurance of the woman who, although
surprised in the act, puts on a grand air, and waxes wrathful as at an
insult.
"Who was that man up there," I resumed, "with whom you were
corresponding?"
"A man!" she finally answered with her strong Turkish accent which I
will spare you. "I don't know what you mean--I don't know any men--I
have never seen any!"
"But he was at that window--there."
"Well, what does that prove?" she retorted. "Does that concern me? Can I
prevent people from coming to their windows?"
"No, but when they are there you might prevent yourself from making
signs to them; and especially from returning the kisses they send to
you."
"Signs, I? I made signs!" she exclaimed. "Ah! that is really too bad!
Who do you take me for then?"
"Why, I surprised you, and I stayed your hand when you had your fingers
raised to your lips."
"Well, can't I put my fingers to my lips now? What, am I not to have the
right to make a gesture, without accounting for it, without being
insulted? Did any one ever see a woman treated in such an odious
fashion? Well, tie me up then!"
You are acquainted with women's tactics, my dear Louis: they are always
the same in such cases. I put a stop to it all after letting her deny
the facts.
"Come, come," I said to her. "This is not the time for you to play the
part of a persecuted victim. For the last half hour I have been watching
you from behind those curtains. I saw everything--with my opera-glass,"
I added, showing her the glass in proof of my assertion.
Struck by this victorious demonstration she stood there in
consternation. For a moment I enjoyed the effect I had produced and then
continued:
"I saw the letter which he showed you, and the one which you have in
your pocket--I can still see a bit of it peeping out."
On hearing this she became very red; and with incredible swiftness drew
forth the incriminating missive, which she tore into a hundred pieces.
"All right," said I. "It would seem then that you had written something
very compromising to that soldier, whom you have never met and whom you
don't know."
"It was a letter for the modiste," she replied with assumed indignation.
"Yes, and you no doubt wanted him to deliver it," I retorted in an
ironical strain.
This last bitter dart went home and set her beside herself. She assumed
a superb attitude.
"I shall not give you any explanation," she said. "Believe whatever you
please. Do whatever you choose. As for myself, I know what I have to do
now. Since I am spied upon and treated in this fashion I have had enough
of leading such a life--I prefer to put an end to it at once!"
"And how do you purpose putting an end to it?" I resumed. "It will
perhaps be necessary to consult me a little bit on that subject."
"But you are neither my husband nor my brother, my dear fellow," she
exclaimed in the most airy way imaginable, "and I don't suppose that you
are going to talk to me any more of those stupid Turkish rights. We are
in Paris and I know that I am free!"
"Well, where will your freedom take you?"
"Oh! don't worry yourself about me--I should not have any trouble to
secure a husband. Do you imagine, my dear fellow, that I should be
embarrassed to find a _position_?"
This characteristic word showed me that she was far more completely
initiated than I had suspected.
"And you expect," I retorted, "to obtain this _position_ from that fine
nobleman, eh?"
These disdainful words exasperated her; she lost all self-restraint and
burnt her ships.
"That fine nobleman is a duke!" she exclaimed vehemently. "I will not
allow you to insult him. And since you dare to threaten me, I will tell
you that I love him and that he adores me, and that he offers to marry
me and promises me every bliss--"
In spite of my misfortune I could not help laughing at this fiery
indignant declaration to which Zouhra's Turkish accent imparted an
irresistibly comic effect. My gaiety brought her anger to a climax.
Frenzied, decided upon everything, she darted to a chiffonier, drew out
an illuminated card, upon which two doves were pecking one another, and
threw it at me with a queenly air, exclaiming:
"There, my dear fellow you will see if I still have any need of you!"
I picked up the card and read what was written upon it:
LEDUC (D'ARPAJON),
_Drum-Major of the 79th Regt. of the Line._
_To the divine ZOUHRA--Everlasting Love!_
It would be useless for me to describe to you the end of the scene.
When I had laughed enough, I allowed myself the delightful pleasure of
undeceiving my faithless houri by explaining to her her unfortunate
mistake as to the rank of her conqueror, whom she had mentally endowed
with a fortune in keeping with the height of his plume.[A] I destroyed
her dream of every bliss by reducing it to so much bliss as was
procurable with a full pay of a franc and a half _per diem_.
[Footnote A: Zouhra with her imperfect knowledge of French had
concluded that Leduc (D'Arpajon) meant "the Duke of
Arpajon"--whereas, in reality, Leduc, a single word, was the
drum-major's name; D'Arpajon implying that he came from, or
belonged to, the little market town of Arpajon, not far from
Paris.--_Trans._]
As I made these crushing revelations you might have seen her gradually
sinking and collapsing, with her pretty purple lips just parted, and her
gazelle's eyes staring with frightened astonishment. She was the picture
of consternation.
All at once she darted towards me and abruptly caught me in her arms.
"Ah! it is you that I love!--you that I love!" she exclaimed in a
pathetic tone amid her transports.
I had some difficulty in releasing myself from her passionate embrace;
still I eventually succeeded in doing so, but only to confront a fresh
crisis of despair, whereupon I immediately confided Zouhra to the care
of her maids.
Then, without any further explanations, which would have been
superfluous, I withdrew.
Of course I am perfectly aware that you will try to derive from this
mishap some argument intended to triumph over my discomfiture.
I would have you remark, however, that you have no right to seize upon a
general fact--for infidelity is inherent in woman's nature--and draw
deductions respecting my particular case. All that you can reasonably
conclude is that the man who has four wives is bound to be deceived four
times as often as the man who has but one wife.
That is certainly a weighty argument, I confess.
However all that may be, my misfortune having been made evident to me,
and Zouhra being banished from my heart, it was necessary that I should
come to a decision with regard to her.
The most simple course was to consult my uncle; his own experience in a
similar mishap pointed him out as the best of advisers.
He listened to me, stroking his beard with the somewhat derisive phlegm
of a practical man, who is not sorry to find that he has some companions
in misfortune. It even seemed to me that I could detect a touch of
malicious satisfaction, as if he still resented my conduct as an heir.
When I had finished he quietly remarked:
"What an old stupid you are! You should have let her get married without
saying anything! In that way you would have saved us the expense of
sending her back home again."
"Well, unfortunately it's too late now for that, uncle," I answered.
To be brief, as the Turkish law does not allow the desertion or
dismissal of a cadine unless she be provided for, Zouhra is to be exiled
to Rhodes. The pasha has established there for his own use, a kind of
Botany Bay, which is a place both of retirement and rustication for his
invalided wives who have lost their freshness with age. The place is an
old abbey with spacious gardens planted with mimosas and orange trees,
and was purchased by auction for some ten thousand francs. The island is
delightful, and provisions are to be had there for nothing, according to
what my uncle tells me. Judge for yourself: fowls cost twopence each,
and everything else is to be had at correspondingly low prices. There
are already eleven women there, and it does not cost more than nine
thousand francs a year to keep them all on a proper footing, including
the board and wages of their servants.
Find me among our own boasted institutions any one to be compared with
that of my uncle--an institution established to provide for similar
contingencies, and the arrangements of which are equally good.
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