True to his word, Si Maïeddine was waiting in Madame Constant's hideous
sitting-room, when Victoria returned to the hotel from Djenan el Djouad.
To-day he had changed his grey bournous for a white one, and all his
clothing was white, embroidered with silver.
"It is written," he began in Arabic, as he rose to welcome the girl,
"that the messenger who brings good tidings shall come in white. Now
thou art prepared for happiness. Thou also hast chosen white; but even
in black, thy presence would bring a blessing, O Rose of the West."
The colour of the rose stained Victoria's cheeks, and Si Maïeddine's
eyes were warm as he looked at her. When she had given him her hand, he
kissed his own, after touching it. "Be not alarmed, or think that I take
a liberty, for it is but a custom of my people, in showing respect to
man or woman," he explained. "Thou hast not forgotten thy promise of
silence?"
"No, I spoke not a word of thee, nor of the hope thou gavest me last
night," Victoria answered.
"It is well," he said. "Then I will keep nothing back from thee."
They sat down, Victoria on a repulsive sofa of scarlet plush, the Arab
on a chair equally offensive in design and colour.
"Into the life of thy brother-in-law, there came a great trouble," he
said. "It befell after the days when he was known by thee and thy sister
in Paris. Do not ask what it was, for it would grieve me to refuse a
request of thine. Shouldst thou ever hear this thing, it will not be
from my lips. But this I will say--though I have friends among the
French, and am loyal to their salt which I have eaten, and I think their
country great--France was cruel to Ben Halim. Were not Allah above all,
his life might have been broken, but it was written that, after a time
of humiliation, a chance to win honour and glory such as he had never
known, should be put in his way. In order to take this blessing and use
it for his own profit and that of others, it was necessary that Ben
Halim--son of a warrior of the old fighting days, when nomads of high
birth were as kings in the Sahara, himself lately a captain of the
Spahis, admired by women, envied of men--it was necessary that he should
die to the world."
"Then he is not really dead!" cried Victoria.
The face of Si Maïeddine changed, and wore that look which already the
girl had remarked in Arab men she had passed among French crowds: a look
as if a door had shut behind the bright, open eyes; as if the soul were
suddenly closed.
"Thy brother-in-law was living when last I heard of him," Maïeddine
answered, slowly.
"And my sister?"
"My cousin told me last night that Lella Saïda was in good health some
months ago when news came of her from a friend."
"They call her Saïda!" murmured the girl, half sadly; for that Saidee
should tolerate such a change of name, seemed to signify some subtle
alteration in her spirit. But she knew that "Lella" meant "Madame" in
Arab society.
"It is my cousin who spoke of the lady by that name. As for me, it is
impossible that I should know anything of her. Thou wishest above all
things to see thy sister?"
"Above all things. For more than nine years it has been the one great
wish of my life to go to her."
"It is a long journey. Thou wouldst have to go far--very far."
"What would it matter, if it were to the end of the world?"
"As well try to reach the place where she is, as though it were beyond
where the world ends, unless thou wert guided by one who knew the way."
Victoria looked the Arab full in the face. "I have always been sure that
God would lead me there, one day, soon or late," she said.
"Thy God is my God, and Mohammed is his Prophet, as thy Christ was also
among his Prophets. It is as thou sayest; Allah wills that thou shouldst
make this journey, for He has sent me into thy life at the moment of thy
need. I can take thee to thy sister's house, if thou wilt trust thyself
to me. Not alone--I would not ask that. My cousin will take care of
thee. She has her own reason for going on this great journey, a reason
which in its way is as strong as thine, for it concerns her life or
death. She is a noble lady of my race, who should be a Princess of
Touggourt, for her grandfather was Sultan before the French conquered
those warlike men of the desert, far south where Touggourt lies. Lella
M'Barka Bent Djellab hears the voice of the Angel Azraïl in her ears,
yet her spirit is strong, and she believes it is written in the Book
that she shall reach the end of her journey. This is the plan she and I
have made; that thou leave the hotel to-day, towards evening, and drive
(in a carriage which she will send)--to her house, where thou wilt spend
the night. Early in the morning of to-morrow she can be ready to go,
taking thee with her. I shall guard thee, and we shall have an escort
which she and I will provide. Dost thou consent? Because if the idea
pleases thee, there are many arrangements which must be made quickly.
And I myself will take all trouble from thy shoulders in the matter of
leaving the hotel. I am known and well thought of in Algiers and even
the landlord here, as thou hast seen, has me in consideration, because
my name is not strange to him. Thou needst not fear misconstruction of
thine actions, by any one who is here."
Si Maïeddine added these arguments, seeing perhaps that Victoria
hesitated before answering his question.
"Thou art generous, and I have no fear," she said at last, with a faint
emphasis which he could read as he chose. "But, since thou hast my word
to be silent, surely thou wilt tell me where lies the end of the journey
we must take?"
"Even so, I cannot tell thee," Si Maïeddine replied with decision which
Victoria felt to be unalterable. "It is not for lack of trust in thee, O
Rose, but for a reason which is not mine to explain. All I can do is to
pledge my honour, and the honour of a princess, to conduct thee loyally
to the house of thy sister's husband. If thou goest, it must be in the
dress of an Arab lady, veiled from eyes which might spy upon thee; and
so thou wilt be safe under the protection of my cousin."
"My thanks to thee and to her--I will go," Victoria said, after a
moment's pause.
She was sure that Stephen Knight and his friend would prevent her from
leaving Algiers with strangers, above all, in the company of Arabs, if
they could know what was in her mind. But they were unjustly prejudiced,
she thought. Her brother-in-law was of Arab blood, therefore she could
not afford to have such prejudices, even if she were so inclined; and
she must not hesitate before such a chance as Si Maïeddine offered.
The great difficulty she had experienced in learning anything about Ben
Halim made it easy for her to believe that she could reach her sister's
husband only through people of his own race, who knew his secrets. She
was ready to agree with Si Maïeddine that his God and her God had sent
him at the right moment, and she would not let that moment pass her by.
Others might say that she was wildly imprudent, that she was
deliberately walking into danger; but she was not afraid. Always she
trusted to her star, and now it had brought her to Algiers, she would
not weaken in that trust. Common sense, in which one side of the girl's
nature was not lacking, told her that this Arab might be deceiving her,
that he might know no more of Ben Halim than she herself had told him
yesterday; but she felt that he had spoken the truth, and feelings were
more to her than common sense. She would go to the house which Si
Maïeddine said was the house of his cousin, and if there she found
reason to doubt him, she had faith that even then no evil would be
allowed to touch her.
At seven o'clock, Si Maïeddine said, Lella M'Barka would send a
carriage. It would then be twilight, and as most people were in their
homes by that hour, nobody would be likely to see her leave the hotel.
The shutters of the carriage would be closed, according to the custom of
Arab ladies, and on entering the vehicle Victoria would find a negress,
a servant of Lella M'Barka Bent Djellab. This woman would dress her in a
gandourah and a haïck, while they were on their way to the house of
Victoria's hostess, and on stepping out she would have the appearance of
a lady of Algiers. Thus all trace of her would be lost, as one Arab
carriage was exactly like another.
Meanwhile, there would be time to pack, and write a letter which
Victoria was determined to write. To satisfy Si Maïeddine that she would
not be indiscreet in any admission or allusion, she suggested
translating for him every word she wrote into French or Arabic; but he
refused this offer with dignity. She trusted him. He trusted her also.
But he himself would post the letter at an hour too late for it to be
delivered while she was still in Algiers.
It was arranged that she should carry only hand-bags, as it would be too
conspicuous to load and unload boxes. Her large luggage could be stored
at the hotel until she returned or sent, and as Lella M'Barka intended
to offer her an outfit suitable to a young Arab girl of noble birth, she
need take from the hotel only her toilet things.
So it was that Victoria wrote to Stephen Knight, and was ready for the
second stage of what seemed the one great adventure to which her whole
life had been leading up.