uth, all seemed to leave the field
open to sanguine hopes, and to attempts to win her hand, to the open
acknowledgment of which no obstacle appeared. Nevertheless, well
prepared as I was for such attempts, and fully expecting to witness
them, I was very much affected by the news that Kiusko was my rival. It
was impossible for me to doubt that his determination to marry
Kondje-Gul was the result of reflection as well as of love, and that it
would be only strengthened by any obstacle. Of a calm and energetic
nature, endowed with an iron will, and accustomed to see everything
submit to his law, he had also preserved that freshness of the
affections which would be intensified by the impulses of a first love.

All the same, and notwithstanding my friendship for him, I certainly
could not think of explaining to him the strange situation in which he
had in his ignorance placed himself. To proclaim Kondje-Gul to be my
mistress would be to banish her from the society into which she had won
her way: it would have wounded her spirit to the quick and determined
her degradation, without reason or advantage either for Kiusko or for
myself. Moreover, did I not owe a stricter fidelity to her than to this
friend of yesterday?

I resolved accordingly to keep my counsel, and wait upon events. I felt
too confident of regulating them in my own interests to be afraid of the
consequences. However, I was surprised by an incident which at first
seemed insignificant. Having been informed of my aunt's projected visit
to Kondje's mother, I went to her the same evening, thinking that she
would at once tell me about it, but she said nothing. I thought, of
course, that some obstacle had occurred which had deferred my aunt's
negotiations.

The next day, without seeming to attach any importance to the matter, I
questioned my aunt about it. She informed me that she had been to Madame
Murrah's the day before.

"Did you commence your overtures on behalf of Kiusko's grand scheme?" I
asked her.

"Yes," she answered.

"And--were they entertained?"

"Oh, you are going too fast! According to Mussulman usage, matters don't
proceed at that rate. We did not get any further than the preliminaries.
I explained our amorous friend's eager anxiety, and the next step is to
consult Kondje-Gul."

"Meanwhile, does the mother appear favourable to your request?"

"It was not her duty to declare herself at the first interview," said my
aunt. "She has, as you know