, and Hahmed, longing to satisfy her craving, looked with eyes
of love upon the sweetness of her face aglow with anticipation, so that
both were well content.

And an hour passed in which they ate and drank, and Jill balanced
pieces of sweet bread upon the noses of two great hounds, who, scenting
their master from afar, had broken bounds and raced to him, leaping the
breakfast table to Jill's infinite delight, whilst their groom lay upon
the ground out of sight anticipating the thrashing his carelessness
merited him, but from which he was spared by reason of his mistress'
sweetness.

"And so, Light of Heaven, I must leave thee, for there is much to
prepare if we would start at once, for it is difficult to secure the
strict privacy due to my wife in these times when the world is overrun
by the tourist ants who should by right be underground.

"And my heart inclineth to hours spent with thee, O! Flower of the
Desert, hours spent at thy feet in the heat of the day whilst thou
slumberest, hours upon the roof of thy dwelling, watching the day
prepare herself for the coming of her lover, the night; and yet must I
leave thee when my being is overwhelmed with love of thee, thou wind of
caprice! Would that I could tell the meaning of my gentleness towards
thee, I, Hahmed, who, like a love-sick youth, sleeps the night without
the silken curtain of thy door and dare not enter in unto thee."

And his hands suddenly gripped the girl by her shoulders and pulled her
towards him, at which roughness she smiled, as women do when so
treated, and rested her sweet-scented head above his heart.

"Ah, Hahmed! Who knows if thou are not over timorous even for a
love-sick youth," she sighed. "And _must_ thou go when my heart
inclineth to hours spent with _thee_? And yet at night the stars come
out so 'tis said, and can be seen from the roof of my dwelling; and
when the wind sweeps over chill across the sands the fire throws
shadows in my room of roses, where the love bird with little wings
hovers above my couch suspended by a little silken cord."

And the man bent her back towards him so that the ribbon of her bodice
snapped and the beauty of her lay under his hands, and she stretched
both arms outwards and whispered so that only he could hear, "Kiss me,
Hahmed, oh my heart's desire! Kiss me, for I am faint with love of
thee."

And even as he bent downwards to her she fell unconscious at his feet,
whereupon he raised her in his arms