between the two races, more than I had
ever felt it before, between this girl and myself, between this woman who
had just given herself to me, who had yielded herself to my caresses and
to me, who had possessed her, and, thinking of it for the first time, I
said to her: 'What is your name?'
"She did not speak for some moments, and I saw her start, as if she had
forgotten that I was there, and then, in her eyes that were raised to
mine, I saw that that moment had sufficed for her to be overcome by
sleep, by irresistible, sudden, almost overwhelming sleep, like
everything that lays hold of the mobile senses of women, and she
answered, carelessly, suppressing a yawn:
"'Allouma.'
"'Do you want to go sleep?'
"'Yes,' she replied.
"'Very well then, go to sleep!'
"She stretched herself out tranquilly by my side, lying on her stomach,
with her forehead resting on her folded arms, and I felt almost
immediately that fleeting, untutored thoughts were lulled in repose,
while I began to ponder, as I lay by her side, and tried to understand it
all. Why had Mohammed given her to me? Had he acted the part of a
magnanimous servant, who sacrifices himself for his master, even to the
extent of giving up the woman whom he had brought into his own tent, to
him? Or had he, on the other hand, obeyed a more complex and more
practical, though less generous impulse, in handing over this girl who
had taken my fancy, to my embrace? An Arab, when it is a question of
women, is rigorously modest and unspeakably complaisant, and one can no
more understand his rigorous and easy morality, than one can all the rest
of his sentiments. Perhaps, when I accidentally went to his tent, I had
merely forestalled the benevolent intentions of this thoughtful servant,
who had intended this woman, who was his friend and accomplice, or
perhaps even his mistress, for me.
"All these suppositions assailed me, and fatigued me so much, that, at
last, in my turn, I fell into a profound sleep, from which I was roused
by the creaking of my door, and Mohammed came in, to call me as usual. He
opened the window, through which a flood of light streamed in, and fell
onto Allouma who was still asleep; then he picked up my trousers, coat
and waistcoat from the floor in order to brush them. He did not look at
the woman who was lying by my side, did not seem to know or remark that
she was there, and preserved his ordinary gravity, demeanor and looks.
But the light, the
|