ers I came as a bride from the Sahara. Such a meal as thou
wilt eat to-night, mayst thou eat often with a blessing, in the country
of the sun."

Fafann, who had softly left the room when the guest had been introduced,
now came back, with great tinkling of khal-khal, and mnaguach, the huge
earrings which hung so low as to strike the silver beads twisted round
her throat. She was smiling, and pleasantly excited at the presence of a
visitor whose arrival broke the tiresome monotony of an invalid's
household. When she had set one of the pearly maidas in front of
Victoria's seat of cushions, she held back the curtains for Hsina to
enter, carrying a copper tray. This the negress placed on the maida, and
uncovered a china bowl balanced in a silver stand, like a giant coffee
cup of Moorish fashion. It contained hot soup, called cheurba, in which
Hsina had put so much fell-fell, the red pepper loved by Arabs, that
Victoria's lips were burned. But it was good, and she would not wince
though the tears stung her eyes as she drank, for Lella M'Barka and the
two servants were watching her eagerly.

Afterwards came a kouskous of chicken and farina, which she ate with a
large spoon whose bowl was of tortoiseshell, the handle of ivory tipped
with coral. Then, when the girl hoped there might be nothing more,
appeared tadjine, a ragout of mutton with artichokes and peas, followed
by a rich preserve of melon, and many elaborate cakes iced with pink and
purple sugar, and powdered with little gold sequins that had to be
picked off as the cake was eaten. At last, there was thick, sweet
coffee, in a cup like a little egg-shell supported in filigree gold (for
no Mussulman may touch lip to metal), and at the end Fafann poured
rosewater over Victoria's fingers, wiping them on a napkin of fine
damask.

"Now thou hast eaten and drunk, thou must allow thyself to be dressed by
my women in the garments of an Arab maiden of high birth, which I have
ready for thee," said Lella M'Barka, brightening with the eagerness of a
little child at the prospect of dressing a beautiful new doll. "Fafann
shall bring everything here, and thou shalt be told how to robe thyself
afterwards. I wish to see that all is right, for to-morrow morning thou
must arise while it is still dark, that we may start with the first
dawn."

Fafann and Hsina had forgotten their jealousies in the delight of the
new play. They moved about, laughing and chattering, and were not
chidden