"Diane, the Vicomte de Saint Hubert waits to be presented to you."

She drew herself up and the colour that had come into her face drained

out of it again. Slowly she glanced up at the man standing before her,

and looked straight into the most sympathetic eyes that her own sad,

defiant ones had ever seen. Only for a moment, then he bowed with a

conventional murmur that was barely audible.

His lack of words gave her courage. "Monsieur," she said coldly in

response to his greeting, then turned to the Sheik without looking at

him. "The Dancer has behaved abominably. Gaston, my hat, please!

Thanks." And vanished into the tent without a further look at any one.

It was late, but she lingered over her bath and changed with slow

reluctance into the green dress that the Sheik preferred--a concession

that she despised herself for making. She had taken up the jade

necklace when he joined her.

He turned her to him roughly, with his hands on her shoulders, and the

merciless pressure of his fingers was indication enough without the

black scowl on his face that he was angry. "You are not very cordial to

my guest."

"Is it required of a slave to be cordial towards her master's friends?"

she replied in a stifled voice.

"What is required is obedience to my wishes," he said harshly.

"And is it your wish that I should please this Frenchman?"

"It is my wish."

"If I were a woman of your own race----" she began bitterly, but he

interrupted her.

"If you were a woman of my own race there would be no question of it,"

he said coldly. "You would be for the eyes of no other man than me. But

since you are not----" He broke off with an enigmatical jerk of the

head.

"Since I am not you are less merciful than if I was," she cried

miserably. "I could wish that I was an Arab woman."

"I doubt it," he said grimly. "The life of an Arab woman would hardly

be to your taste. We teach our women obedience with a whip."

"Why have you changed so since this morning," she whispered, "when you

told me that you trusted no one to climb to my balcony in the hotel but

yourself? Are you not an Arab now as then? Have I become of so little

value to you that you are not even jealous any more?"




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024