owed her into the tent
where his wife and sister and daughter were crowding round M'Barka, he
said in a low voice to Maieddine: "It is well, my son. Being a man, and
young, thou couldst not have withstood her. When the time is ripe, she
will become a daughter of Islam, because for love of thee, she will wish
to fulfil thine heart's desire."

"She does not yet know that she loves me," Maieddine answered. "But when
thou hast given me the white stallion El Biod, and I ride beside the
girl in her bassour through the long days and the long distances, I
shall teach her, in the way the Roumi men teach their women to love."

"But if thou shouldst not teach her?"

"My life is in it, and I shall teach her," said Maieddine. "But if
Chitan stands between, and I fail--which I will not do--why, even so, it
will come to the same thing in the end, because----"

"Thou wouldst say----"

"It is well to know one's own meaning, and to speak of--date stones. Yet
with one's father, one can open one's heart. He to whom I go has need of
my services, and what he has for twelve months vainly asked me to do, I
will promise to do, for the girl's sake, if I cannot win her without."

"Take care! Thou enterest a dangerous path," said the old man.

"Yet often I have thought of entering there, before I saw this girl's
face."

"There might be a great reward in this life, and in the life beyond. Yet
once the first step is taken, it is irrevocable. In any case, commit me
to nothing with him to whom thou goest. He is eaten up with zeal. He is
a devouring fire--and all is fuel for that fire."

"I will commit thee to nothing without thy full permission, O my
father."

"And for thyself, think twice before thou killest the sheep. Remember
our desert saying. 'Who kills a sheep, kills a bee. Who kills a bee,
kills a palm, and who kills a palm, kills seventy prophets.'"

"I would give my sword to the prophets to aid them in killing those who
are not prophets."

"Thou art faithful. Yet let the rain of reason fall on thy head and on
thine heart, before thou givest thy sword into the hand of him who waits
thine answer."

"Thine advice is of the value of many dates, even of the _deglet nour_,
the jewel date, which only the rich can eat."

The old man laid his hand, still strong and firm, on his son's shoulder,
and together they went into the great tent, that part of it where the
women were, for all were closely related to them, excepting the Roumia,