Ourïeda

“ Thou wilt be a great lady, and can look down, if thou wilt, on thy father, thy sister, and her husband.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Laila. Her face was cold as if carved in stone; but there was a smoldering spark under her eyelashes. She looked older than he had ever seen her, more like her mother in the days when trouble was already brewing.
Then Ourïeda lost her head, and cried out passionately, a thing unwise for an Arab girl who would win a man to her wishes. ”

“ It will not be seen under my veil, when I go out, and it is still damp,” said Ourïeda. She thought that Norah would like to see it so—for the last time.
“At least, thou wilt give me thy little hands to make beautiful with my rosy lotion?”
“The tips of my fingers only,” replied the girl firmly. “I hate to see the whole fingers red, as our Arab ladies have them. They look wicked, as if they had been dipped in blood. I will have mine as a Roumia friend wears hers; only the ends stained.”
Her delicate little face, with its great eyes, expressed so much decision that Zakia yielded ”

“ Tears of mortification swam in Ourïeda's eyes, and she blushed so painfully that Norah would have liked to box Laila's ears for her cruelty.
“It is not that,” the younger girl defended herself. “If thou must know, since thou art so unkind as to shame me before Miss Luck, I was surprised because the eyes in the picture look at me like the eyes of a dream man I see sometimes. But he is very handsome, thy brother, Miss Luck. Thou must love him dearly, and be proud of him, I think.” ”

“ He had appeared to Sanda years younger than the widowed Mabrouka; and though she was a dark, withered likeness of him, it was not surprising to learn that Lella Mabrouka was only a half-sister of the Agha, born of an Arab mother.
"You know he has had but one wife, my own mother," Ourïeda said proudly. "That is considered almost a sin in our religion, yet he could never bring himself to look with love on any woman, after her, nor to give her a rival, even for the sake of having a son. ”

“ He does not care that I am not 'advanced' in my thoughts, that I am almost as old-fashioned as Aunt Aïssa. Arab ways and the Arab language are good enough for me. And I do not let my thoughts go far outside the harem. I love the wearing of the veil; for it seems to me that in it lies our greatest charm for men. It is the mystery surrounding us which makes them love and long for us as they do.”
Ourïeda laughed. “If thou hast found out that they love and long for us, it must be from French novels. ”

“ The "Little Rose," defenceless against the men who had power over her fate (as all Arab women are defenceless, unless they choose death instead of life) , appealed to the latent motherhood that slept in the heart of Sanda, as in the heart of every normal girl: appealed to the romance in her: appealed to the sympathy born of her own love for Stanton, which seemed as hopeless as Ourïeda's love for Manöel Valdez. Would Manöel come in answer to one of those secretly sent letters? Would anything happen to save Ourïeda from Tahar? ”

“ She looked at Ourïeda and the Roumia, and said quietly: "It was a charming idea to wear each other's clothes so that each might have something of the other in her heart forever. Already I can see a likeness. But do not hurry to change now. I came to say that for a reason, to be explained later, the caravan cannot start to-day. Our Little White Moon will light our sky for a time longer. Come with me, Embarka, I have work for thee. These dear children may have the pleasure of dressing each other." ”

“ So it was that the preparations for Ourïeda's marriage went on, and she dared speak no further of her meeting with Pat Lassels; for Lella Nedjma had warned her that, if El Khadra or Mohammed learned that she had talked with him alone, soon and surely he would disappear, and no one would ever hear more of him in this world, or know how he had died. ”

“ With the little pearl-handled knife, Zakia peeled off the adhering paste, and Ourïeda's fingers appeared, tinted a deep rose, the nails glittering.
It was even earlier than they had dared hope when the sisters escaped from the Moorish baths, having bestowed gold coins on Zakia and the attendants. But Miloud, guessing from what he knew of the plan that they would waste no time, was already at the door with the carriage. He enjoyed driving, as much as the old coachman enjoyed fingering the silver pieces which had bribed him to be ill. ”

“ El Khadra answered. “I had thought to have thy sister married before thee, but Mahmoud's house is not ready for Laila. She knows that, by her own wish, he is having it beautified to receive her; and there are other reasons for the delay, reasons which concern his family. Yet it does not matter. Since Laila was affianced first, she suffers no humiliation. And Si Mohammed is impatient.”
“But, sidi, Miss Luck has only just come. We cannot both marry and leave her,” Ourïeda pleaded. ”

“ Ourïeda and the other Arab women had called her at Djazerta. Stanton said it was just the name for her, when she told him. The girl was perfectly happy now that Max was rescued. She had no regrets, no cares; for, though she dearly loved her father, it would have been long before she saw him again even if she had gone to Sidi-bel-Abbés; and she knew he had hated the necessity for leaving her there without him. She believed it would be a great relief to such a keen soldier as he was not to be burdened with a girl. ”

“ Besides, if she married, she would expect her husband to love her till death, even more tenderly when the color had left her pink cheeks and her thick brown hair. As this thought sprang into her head, she seemed suddenly to see Winthrop's eyes looking at her. She was ashamed, and blushed deeply; but nobody saw. The attention of all was directed upon Ourïeda.
“I have thee to cherish me,” the young girl pleaded with her father. “I want no other man.”
“Thou art a child, and knowest not what is good for thee,” smiled El Khadra. ”

“ But even to her that seemed the end, for the girl listened with meekness and offered no objection except that the hot weather had stolen her strength: she was not well.
"Let the excitement of being a bride bring back thy health, like wine in thy veins, Little Rose," said the Agha, speaking in French out of compliment to the guest, and to show her that there was no family secret under discussion which she might not share.
"It is not exciting to marry my cousin Tahar," Ourïeda sighed rather than protested. "He is an ugly man, dreadful for a girl to look upon as her husband." ”

“ She knew I would go to the hammam before my marriage, and that Zakia had been sent for to bathe me and make me beautiful. So she gave her cousin there a present, and all the rest of the jewels she gave to Zakia, for a promise Zakia made. Nothing has Embarka kept of all my gifts. It was like her! The rest is easy now. I shall never again know happiness, but neither shall I know the shame of giving myself to a man I hate when heart and soul belong to one I love."
"Can la hennena help you to escape?" Sanda wanted to know.
"From Tahar, yes. Here is the way," Ourïeda answered. ”

“ Ourïeda no longer pleaded. She had given up hope, and resigned herself with the deadly calmness of resignation which only women of the Mussulman faith can feel. It was clear that her will was not as Allah's will. And women came not on earth for happiness. It was not sure that they even had souls.
"Allah has appointed that I marry my cousin Tahar," she said to Sanda, "and I shall marry him, because I have not another stiletto nor any poison, and I am always watched so that, even if I had the courage, I could not throw myself down from the roof. ”

“ Sanda dropped the words into a frightened pause, while Ourïeda's glance went quickly to the well of the staircase.
"It is what I came here to tell you about," the Arab girl answered. "I forced myself to wait, but now I am sure of you as if you were my own sister. We are going to open our hearts to each other. Do you know what it is to have a man in your life—a man who is not father or brother, and yet is of great importance to you ”

“ For no difference of race or religion can stand before such a love as I'll prove mine to be. Not even your father——”
“Ah, but there is more—more even than all that, to part us,” Ourïeda cut him short. “I must tell thee——”
3ut the door opened, and she started to her feet, breaking away from him in terror. For an instant the screen hid them both, until Pat, too, was on his feet; but Norah, who came in, white and quivering with the strain she had passed through, gave a cry of dismay when she saw the Arab girl and her brother together. ”

“ Ourïeda echoed, looking shocked. "But how can there be two?"
Sanda felt herself blushing and ashamed before the woman of another race. She tried to explain, though it was difficult, because she had given the answer without stopping to think: indeed, it had almost spoken itself. "I fancy I said that because you asked me about dreams," she apologized. "The man who has been my hero all my life—and always will be, I suppose, though he doesn't care for me and thinks of me as a child—I can't dream of, for some strange reason. He's seldom out of my thoughts by day for very long, I believe ”

“ My father, 'advanced' as he is, would not have consented to let him see us as he used to when we were children, if thou hadst not put forth all thy wiles and arts.”
“I have none,” said the younger girl. “I love our father, and he loves me, that is all.”
“Yes, that is all,” Laila echoed bitterly. “Well, now I have some one to love me, too—for the first time in my life, even though it is only Mahmoud.”
“Only Mahmoud!” Ourïeda repeated. “He is the handsomest and cleverest young man in Tunis.”
“Tunis is not the world.”
“It is our world. ”

“ It's you who don't understand,” Norah broke in, almost angrily, still holding her friend in her arms. “Listen! There's a knock! If her people have come for her! There's some plot, I'm afraid—for I was told to expect her and Laila in the flat upstairs. But there's no time to explain. If you don't want her to suffer—go!”
There was that in her voice which killed objection. Without another word, without seeing Ourïeda's face again, Pat went. And almost as the door of the adjoining room closed after him, the salon door was opened by Jeanne, to admit Lella Nedjma. ”

“ She was engaged by those who could afford her coveted services, not only to give this bath in the great bathhouse, but afterward to spend a week in the bride's house, anointing her face and body with scented emollients, tinting her brows and lashes, showing her how to “make up” her complexion for her husband's admiration when, at last. he should be permitted to lift her veil, in his own harem. So it was to be in the case of Ourïeda. To-night, Zakia, the “hennena,” would sleep under the roof with her, and would remain until the bride went to the bridegroom. ”

“ Invitations had been sent out to half aristocratic Tunis, for the last feastings at the home of El Khadra, and to see the bride in her wedding finery before her departure; on the part of Lella Aïssa, who would entertain the women splendidly in the harem; on the part of El Khadra, who would entertain the bridegroom and a large company of men in his own part of the house. Four cooks were busy, preparing every sort of fantastic dainty; dancers and musicians were engaged to amuse the guests. No one talked of anything but the wedding, and Ourïeda's future happiness. ”

“ But the truth is, my sister has advanced ideas. She pretends not to care for French books, yet it is for French customs she is pining. She thinks herself too beautiful to be shut up in one man's harem.”
“Be silent, and thankful for Allah's gifts. Do not envy thy sister, since thou canst take nothing from her, or injure her in any way.”
“Oh, can I not?” Laila murmured, but in a voice so low that no one heard except Miss Luck, and perhaps Ourïeda. ”

“ The fat creature twisted both hands in the black stallion’s mane and kicked the glossy neck with his heels, gurgling with joy.
“See, see,” said Ourida, her eyes like stars for radiance. “He grips, he rides. He will carry the standard in his day zahrit.” The soldiers laughed and lifted their lances. “Hail to the young Kaid!”
Ortho, gripping his infant son by the slack of his miniature jellab, felt sick. Ourida and these other simple-minded fanatics would beat him yet with their fool ideas of glory, urge this crowing baby of his into hardship, terror, pain, possibly agonizing death. ”

“ Great heart, intent as ever on his love!
"Say your prayers!" thundered Ourrias from above
In a hoarse voice, and pitiless to hear,
And pierced the victim with his iron spear.
Then, with a heavy groan, the fated lover
Rolled upon the green-sward, and all was over.
The beaten grass is dark with human gore,
And the field-ants already coursing o'er
The prostrate limbs ere Ourrias mounts, and flies
Under the rising moon in frantic wise;
Muttering, as the flints beneath him fly,
"To-night the Crau wolves will feast merrily."
Deep stillness reigned in Crau. ”

“ Thou knowest, O Lord, that I envied not his happiness, but why gavest thou life to poor Ourika? Why did she not perish on board the slave ship she was snatched from, or on the bosom of her mother. A little African sand would have covered her infant body, and light would have been the burthen. Why was Ourika condemned to live? To live alone? Ever and for ever alone? Never to be loved! O my God! do not permit it! Take thy poor Ourika from hence! No creature wants her; must she linger desolate through life! ”