The Sheik

Her surroundings seemed oddly familiar. The burning sun overhead

in the cloudless sky, the shimmering haze rising from the hot, dry

ground, the feathery outline of some clustering palm trees in a tiny

distant oasis were like remembrances that she watched again with a

feeling of gladness that was fuller and deeper than anything that she

had been conscious of before. She was radiantly happy--happy in the

sense of her youth and strength, her perfect physical fitness, happy in

the capacity of her power of enjoyment, happy with the touch of the

keen, nervous horse between her knees, exhilarated with her new

authority. She had looked forward so eagerly, and realisation was

proving infinitely greater than anticipation. And for a whole month

this perfect happiness was to be hers. She thought of her promise to

Aubrey with impatience. To give up the joyous freedom of the desert for

the commonplace round of American social life seemed preposterous. The

thought of the weeks in New York were frankly tedious; Newport would be

a little less bad, for there were alleviations. The only hope was that

Aubrey would find the wife he was looking for quickly and release her

from an obligation that was going to be very wearisome. Aubrey was

counting on her, and it would be unsporting to let him down; she would

have to keep her promise, but she would be glad when it was over.

Aubrey married would settle definitely the possibility of any further

disagreements between them. She wondered vaguely what the future Lady

Mayo would be like, but she did not expend much pity on her. American

girls as a rule were well able to care for themselves. She stroked her

horse with a little smile. Aubrey and his possible wife seemed

singularly uninteresting beside the vivid interest of the moment. A

caravan that had been visible for a long time coming towards them drew

nearer, and Diana reined in to watch the long line of slow, lurching

camels passing. The great beasts, with their disdainful tread and long,

swaying necks, never failed to interest her. It was a large caravan;

the bales on the camels' backs looked heavy, and beside the merchants

on riding camels and a motley crowd of followers--some on lean little

donkeys and others on foot--there was an armed guard of mounted men. It

took some time to pass. One of two of the camels carried huddled

figures, swathed and shapeless with a multitude of coverings, that

Diana knew must be women. The contrast between them and herself was

almost ridiculous. It made her feel stifled even to look at them. She

wondered what their lives were like, if they ever rebelled against the

drudgery and restrictions that were imposed upon them, if they ever

longed for the freedom that she was revelling in, or if custom and

usage were so strong that they had no thoughts beyond the narrow life

they led.