e
out to meet him, to give him a passionate welcome in the sand, and
the opening words of the Egyptian "Adoration of the Sun by the Perfect
Souls" came to her lips:

"Hommage a Toi. Dieu Soleil. Seigneur du Ciel, Roi sur la Terre! Lion du
Soir! Grande Ame divine, vivante a toujours."

Why had she not ordered her horse to ride a little way with Count
Anteoni? She might have pretended that she was starting on her great
journey.

The red gold curve became a semi-circle of burnished glory resting upon
the deep blue, then a full circle that detached itself majestically and
mounted calmly up the cloudless sky. A stream of light poured into the
oasis, and Domini, who had paused for a moment in silent worship, went
on swiftly through the negro village which was all astir, and down the
track to the white villa.

She did not glance round again to see whether Androvsky was still
following her, for, since the sun had come, she had the confident
sensation that he was no longer near.

He had surely given her into the guardianship of the sun.

The door of the garden stood wide open, and, as she entered, she saw
three magnificent horses prancing upon the sweep of sand in the midst
of a little group of Arabs. Smain greeted her with graceful warmth and
begged her to follow him to the _fumoir_, where the Count was waiting
for her.

"It is good of you!" the Count said, meeting her in the doorway. "I
relied on you, you see!"

Breakfast for two was scattered upon the little smoking-tables; coffee,
eggs, rolls, fruit, sweetmeats. And everywhere sprigs of orange blossom
filled the cool air with delicate sweetness.

"How delicious!" she exclaimed. "A breakfast here! But--no, not there!"

"Why not?"

"That is exactly where he was."

"Aloui! How superstitious you are!"

He moved her table. She sat down near the doorway and poured out coffee
for them both.

"You look workmanlike."

She glanced at his riding-dress and long whip. Smoked glasses hung
across his chest by a thin cord.

"I shall have some hard riding, but I'm tough, though you may not think
it. I've covered many a league of my friend in bygone years."

He tapped an eggshell smartly, and began to eat with appetite.

"How gravely gay you are!" she said, lifting the steaming coffee to her
lips. He smiled.

"Yes. To-day I am happy, as a pious man is happy when after a long
illness, he goes once more to church."

"The desert seems to be everything to you."

"I f