The Sheik

He sent Henri away and sat down beside the divan to watch with a

feeling of weariness that was not bodily. The great tent was very

still, a pregnant silence seemed to hang in the air, a brooding hush

that strained Saint Hubert's already overstrained nerves. He had need

of all his calm, and he gripped himself resolutely. For a time Ahmed

Ben Hassan lay motionless, and then, as the day crept on and the early

rays of the warm sun filled the tent, he moved uneasily, and began to

mutter feverishly in confused Arabic and French. At first the words

that came were almost unintelligible, pouring out with rapid

indistinctness, then by degrees his voice slowed, and hesitating,

interrupted sentences came clearly from his lips. And beside him, with

his face buried in his hands, Raoul de Saint Hubert thanked God

fervently that he had saved Diana the added torture of listening to the

revelations of the past four months.

The first words were in Arabic, then the slow, soft voice lapsed into

French, pure as the Vicomte's own.

"Two hours south of the oasis with the three broken palm trees by the

well.... Lie still, you little fool, it is useless to struggle. You

cannot get away, I shall not let you go.... Why have I brought you

here? You ask me why? Mon Dieu! Are you not woman enough to

know? No! I will not spare you. Give me what I want willingly and I

will be kind to you, but fight me, and by Allah! you shall pay the

cost!... I know you hate me, you have told me so already. Shall I make

you love me?... Still disobedient? When will you learn that I am

master?... I have not tired of you yet, you lovely little wild

thing, garcon manque.... You say she is cowed; I say she is

content--content to give me everything I ask of her.... For four months

she has fought me. Why does it give me no pleasure to have broken her

at last? Why do I want her still? She is English and I have made her

pay for my hatred of her cursed race. I have tortured her to keep my

vow, and still I want her.... Diane, Diane, how beautiful you are!...

What devil makes me hate Raoul after twenty years? Last night she only

spoke to him, and when he went I cursed her till I saw the terror in

her eyes. She fears me. Why should I care if she loves him.... I knew

she was not asleep when I went to her. I felt her quivering beside

me.... I wanted to kill Raoul when he would not come with me, but for

that I would have gone back to her.... Allah! how long the day has

been.... Has it been long to her? Will she smile or tremble when I

come?... Where is Diane?... Diane, Diane, how could I know how much you

meant to me? How could I know that I should love you?... Diane, Diane,

my sunshine. The tent is cold and dark without you.... Ibraheim Omair!

That devil and Diane! Oh, Allah! Grant me time to get to her.... How

the jackals are howling.... See, Raoul, there are the tents.... Diane,

where are you?... Grand Dieu! He has been torturing her!... You knew

that I would come, ma bien aimee, only a few moments while I

kill him, then I can hold you in my arms. Dieu! If you knew how

much I loved you.... Diane, Diane, it is all black. I cannot see you,

Diane, Diane...."