vening after the end of the
marriage feast, unless Corporal St. George preferred to wait till the
morning after. The customs of a country must be respected by those
sojourning in that country; and the Arab ladies visiting the _douar_
would be scandalized if a young girl were allowed to speak with a
strange man. There was nothing for it but submission, and Max submitted,
inwardly raging. He wrote explanations to the officer left in charge at
Sidi-bel-Abbes, the man to whom he must report; but no letter could
reach DeLisle for many weeks.

He was entertained as the Agha's guest, being introduced to Tahar Ben
Hadj and several caids invited for the bridegroom's part of the
festivities. There was much feasting, with music and strange dances in
Tahar's tent at night, and outside, fantasia for the _douar_ in honour
of the wedding; sheep roasted whole, and "powder play." What was going
on in the bride's half of her father's great tent Max did not know, but
he fancied that, above the beating of Tahar's tomtoms and the wild
singing of an imported Arab tenor, he could hear soft, distant wailings
of the ghesbah and the shrill "You--you--you!" of excited women. He
wondered if Sanda knew that he had come to take her away, and whether
Manoeel had contrived to send a message to the bride.

* * * * *

That same night Khadra Bent Djellab, the woman who had travelled from
Touggourt to return as Sanda's attendant, came from the camp of the
caravan asking if she might see her new mistress. All was hurry and
confusion in the women's part of the _tente sultane_, for a great feast
was going on which would last through most of the night. The excited
servants told Khadra that she must go, and come again to the tent in the
morning; but just then the music for a dance of love began, and Khadra
begged so hard to stay that she was allowed to stand with the servants.
She had never seen Sanda DeLisle, but she had been told by the
interpreter ("an order from the master," said he, slipping a five-franc
piece into her hand) that there would be no other Roumia in the company.
When Khadra caught sight of a golden-brown head, uncovered among the
heads wrapped in coloured silks or gauze, she cautiously edged nearer
it, behind the double rank of serving-women. All were absorbed in
staring at the dancing-girl, a celebrity who had been brought from an
oasis town farther south. She had arrived at Djazerta and had travelled
to th