Six Women

e was finished, he went out to the oasis in the desert

surrounded by roses, he expressed himself satisfied, and

ere; he was bursting

. He shall have all. Let him come, ten o'clock, nine o'clock, no matter w

er and a hurried cup of coffee, and then went down into the bazaar with the precious b

n stairs that ran straight up from it in complete darkness. On the topmost landing-a frail wood

of his vigorous body seemed gathering itself together within him, all the fire of his keen, hun

re, and in the centre stood a flat pan of charcoal, glowing under a closed and steaming cooking-pot. At one end a coarse chick, suspended

d as Hamilton walked in, and then securely shut and fastened the door behind him. Sa

and the clear brown skin, with the warm tint of quick blood in it that showed above the English collar, arrested the girl's eyes with a keen thrill of joy. Looking at him, she felt rushing throu

beauty of her form could be seen, as an English face is seen through a veil. Her hair was looped back from her brows and tied si

ent, though the whole universe were reeling and rocking round him to i

ross-legged by the charc

ty of Hamilton's figure, nor the bright glow in the oval cheek: she looked to see if he wore rings o

of the gods in her veins. Zenobie had none, and Said

t, passionate whisper close to his ear, and the accent of joy and deli

eedless question! put only for the supr

soft voice back. "How shall the sla

or, and drawn forward the one little low wooden stool that t

and Saidie let her arms slip from his neck and

to his feet. The old woman ceased to fan the fire; the bright red glow of the coals fell softly on the strong, noble beauty of the man's face, and Saidie,

t did she feel for this infidel who wor

out his pocket-book-old and worn, for h

the business was going to commence. Only Saidi

the whole inside of the poor, limp pocket-book; and as the old woman stretched out a skinny claw for them and began t

e notes, and then securely tied

nted," she said, looking up; "and

nto the girl's eyes. Though he had bought and paid for her, he could not get out

ised her hands i

is not bathed and anointed; the bridal rob

she crept to his side and

t," she murmured eagerly; he sm

ce," he answered decisively. "My camel

ted the old woman. "She c

ed over the lovely form at his feet, raising her into his arms, close to his breast. Saidie

ked so big, so immensely strong. The weight of Saidie, ta

e his way?" Saidie cried out, slipping off a thin gold circlet

may you be always as

to the wall, unhooked the lamp tha

r," Saidie said, as

submissive to the Sahib,

mp, Hamilton, clasping his warm, living burden, went slowly and heav

l, peacefully awaiting its lord, and as Hamilton approached it with his burden

her on the soft red cloth laid over the animal's back, which

, gathering into his hand the light r

ft hands glide in betw

t rose with its slow, stately swing to its feet, and Hamilton guided it towards the M

the moonlight as if built of marble, surrounded by masses of palms which threw a delicate tracery of shadow

ce like incense on the hot, still air, and a giant pink magnolia rioted over the wide porch of lattice-work. Within it was brightly lighted, and a warm glow fr

ing flowers, the exquisite form of the shadows on the white wall, filled Hamilton with pleasure: each se

learly framed in the soft silver light; all this wondrous beauty round them seemed to be to her beauty

se, Saidie?" he said, half la

Sahib," she murmured b

of the stairs. The ayah that the butler had engaged rose and followed her mistress upstairs, where she was ushered into her bath and dressing-room; while the butler, swelling with importance and joyous pride, l

indows, draped with curtains,

lowers, roses, and stephanotis; a rich, deep rose-coloured carpet spread all over the floor, with only a small border of chetai visible round the walls; and two easy-chairs of the same colour and numerous smaller ones piled up with cushions completed the equipment of the room. Th

softly-lighted glow of pink

ant with a pleased smile on

, and a sort of magician, to

the door, his well-formed polish

hair shaken out and brushed after the dust of the desert ride, and looped back f

d the table was laid out with Hamilton's plate and

ual this one. Saidie stood looking at it, and the servants, already ranged by the sideboard, stood with their eyes on the ground, yet conscious of her wonderful beau

n his evening clothes as they had been laid out for

had seen him in hitherto. His long neck carried his fine, spirited head erect, and the masses of thick, black hair, with just the least wave in it, shone in the

eir soup was served, she could n

as he loo

your soup while it's hot; don'

You are so wonderful to me! Please giv

, rather than his gifts, was something new to him, and the girl's beauty sent all the fires of life in quick streams through his frame as he looked on it. He was alive for the first time in his existence, and filled with a surprised happiness as great as t

h very submissively at this, while

ked. "This is champagne; drink it,

not drink wine," Saidie replied, tak

like it," he sugg

he delicate golden glass: it threw its light upwards into her great gleaming eyes, a

d together in her lap: such a nervous delight filled her, such a strange joy in knowing herself to be alive, to be possessed of a beautiful body that by reason of its beauty was worthy the caresses of a man like this; such a pure rapture animated every fibre, to real

passed over her lips. That she was to be his, held in his arms, admitted to his embrac

g before her Vestal altar when Mars

this fervent adoration, this intense passionate worship springing within her; and an immense tenderness an

s hand held it while it wounded her, he knew quite well, and this wonderful voluntary se

ould so willingly be closed to his vileness! how soon come the infidelity, the lies and the meanness, the trickery and the treachery! How assiduously the man teaches the woman who loves him that there is nothing in him worthy of adoration, not even a

eness, and they take it back from the base hands and burn it in the fires kindled in their outraged hearts. Something of this flashed through Hamilton's brain as he met the adoring trust and love in the girl's eyes

he sent the servants away, and they remained alone together in the dining-room with their coffee before them. He put his

th that long ride on

b, I am n

pon him; her lids drooped over her ey

y," he repeated, pinching the glowing

, I must be," respond

," he said in her ear,

ther the rose-filled room, and beyond its soft shaded li

for love than we had last night," said

here was no sound. The lights burned steadily and subdued, the sweet sc

mble excessively as his hand unfastened th

he asked, looking down upon her, all the tender

happiness rush over me at your touch. I cannot tell you what I feel,

d back softly, drawing her into his embrace,

th, looking down upon her. Her heavy hair, full of deep purplish shades, and with the wave in it not unusual in the Asiatic, was pushed off the pale, pure bronze of the forehead, on which were drawn so perfectly the long-sweeping Oriental brows. The nose, delicately straight, with its proud high-arched nostrils, and the tiny upper lip, led the eye on to the finely-carved Eastern mouth, of

. In giving it to a mortal for once they forget their envy: for once

arded worth, satisfied ambition, all the pleasures his youth, his health and strength, and powers had always brought him, crus

light. It was in himself, in his own intense desire, and the gratification of it, that the joy

is. But the great desire for this beauty that had flamed up within him, now in its possession, gave him that fervour and fire, those wings to his soul, that seemed to make him divine. I

er seemed to electrify and thrill her into life, and with a li

ed he should have to leave he

garden? I shall be quite happy. I shall sing all day long to the

day, yet he felt it was better to attend there

say he had neglected his duties. Yet he lingered over his departure, and took her many times into his arms to kiss her before he went, keeping his im

s by the giant convolvulus that spread all over it. The chetai crushed softly under her feet, and she went on slowly to the end wh

imson and white and yellow roses that rioted together beneath. Groves of the feathery bamboo drooped their delicate stems in the fervent, s

d pushed them upwards into the sparkling sunlight through the veils of white starry bl

the gifts of Nature, such as she, the kindly one, gives to the gay bird swinging on the bough,

in tunic worth a few annas; of the garden in which she stood not a flower belonged to her, no weight of jewels lay on her happy heart. She had no name; she was only a dancing-girl from the Deccan.

ts to bondage of the most dismal kind. All of those gifts that Nature gives, and from which alone can be drawn happiness, he tramples

e butterflies floated from the marble whiteness of the lily's cloisters to the deep, warm recesses of

ty, felt a strange bounding of his heart as his thoughts clung to the low, whi

and force of brain were wonderful. The whole electricity of his body was satisfied: the man was perfectly well and perfectly happy. Who cannot work under such conditions? In the evening his horse was brought round, and with a wild leaping of the heart he swung himself into the saddl

sound of bare feet upon the matting, and through the soft magnolia-scented, pinky gloom of the room, s

es on the delicate beautiful carving of the lips, and on the great velvet eyes, so

e without a summons. The garland she had twisted on her head smelt sweetly of roses, and the masses of her silky hair of sandal-wood; her soft lips, that knew so well

th drinks and sweetmeats, that they might sit and watch the moon rising behind the palms in the

she sat on his knee, his arm round the flexible, sup

fire. "I wandered in the compound and made garland after garland, then I sang to my rabab and practised my dancing. In the heat I went in and sl

contented, then,

d my lord to think about, his love of l

d and smiled a

e than that to make the

th her laugh like the sound of a gol

nly, I think," r

r tall lean body, a carriage to drive her here and there, a mansion to live in, all the money he could gain by constant work-these things she demanded because she was his wife, and he had given them

red Hamilton in the little fine curve

my garment more closely to her, and commenced to dance before him in the screened verandah, with the hot moo

in her thoughts, and it flowed through every limb and muscle, glowed in her eyes,

e exquisite form on whose rounded contours the light played so softly, and Hamilton lay back in his chair, silent, absorbed, hardly drawing his breath through his lungs,

whole soft body drooped like a flower with fatigue. Hamilton opened his arms wide. She saw how the fresh colour glowed

w to his arms as the love-bird flies up