even Lella Mabrouka's; and as, during the two days that
followed, Zakia was almost constantly occupied in blanching the bride's
ivory skin with almond paste, staining her fingers red as coral with a
decoction of henna and cochineal, and saturating her hair and body with
a famous permanent perfume, sometimes Lella Mabrouka and Taous ventured
to leave the two girls chaperoned only by _la hennena_. That was because
neither had seen the sudden light in Ourieda's eyes after the face of
Zakia had approached hers at the _hammam_.

For the first day there was no solution of the mystery for Sanda, who
had waited to hear she knew not what. But at last, in a room littered
with pastes and perfume bottles, and lighted by the traditional long
candles wound with coloured ribbon, Ourieda spoke, in Arabic, that the
_hennena_ might not be hurt.

"Zakia says I may tell thee our secret," she said. "At first she was
afraid, but now she sees that she may trust thee as I do. Didst thou
guess there was a secret?"

"Yes," answered Sanda.

"I thought so! Well, it is this: At the _hammam_ is employed a cousin of
Embarka's. I feared never to hear of Embarka again; but my father is
more enlightened than I thought. He might have ordered her death, and
the eunuchs would have obeyed, and no one would ever have known. Yet he
did no more than send her away, giving her no time even to pack that
which was hers. He did not care what became of her, being sure that she
could never again enter our house. But he did not know of the cousin in
the _hammam_. And perhaps he did not stop to think that I might have
given Embarka jewels for helping me. She would have helped without
payment, because she loved me. But I wished to reward her. She hid the
things in her clothing; and when she was turned out she still thought of
me, not of herself. She knew I would go to the _hammam_ before my
marriage, and that Zakia had been sent for to bathe me and make me
beautiful. So she gave her cousin there a present, and all the rest of
the jewels she gave to Zakia, for a promise Zakia made. Nothing has
Embarka kept of all my gifts. It was like her! The rest is easy now. I
shall never again know happiness, but neither shall I know the shame of
giving myself to a man I hate when heart and soul belong to one I
love."

"Can _la hennena_ help you to escape?" Sanda wanted to know.

"From Tahar, yes. Here is the way," Ourieda answered. And she held out
for Sanda to see a tiny pe