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Page 69
Where the real danger comes in is in judging the exact amount of stuff
to gather on the spear-head; an inch or so too much and you may get a
part of the kiddie's little back; an inch or so too little and, when
you have him high in air, you may cut through the cloth and cause said
kiddie to make a hasty descent to _terra firma_.
Anyway, the child was safely restored to its fond mother, who
simultaneously smacked it and stuffed its mouth with fly-blown
sweetmeats, and became the hero for the latter part of the day.
The real cort�ge was headed by camels bearing gifts from the House
el-Umbar to the great white woman who stood, on the balcony in a grey
silk taffeta dress, a shawl of priceless lace on her head and a grey
parrot upon her shoulder. Silks, jewels, sweetmeats, _bibelots_ in
ivory and precious metal, dates, coffee in berries, a monkey and a
bushel of wheat were amongst the gifts carried by the camels who
grumbled and rumbled as they stalked with swaying gait and contemptuous
half-closed eyes.
Next came the armed escort, mounted on horses, with modern rifles slung
and cummerbunds stuck full of the most atrocious-looking knives. They
scowled at everyone, but as they passed under the balcony each one drew
his knife and rattled it against that of his neighbour so that the
weapons made a glittering arch in the light of the setting sun, as
salutation to the old white woman who was of their mistress's race.
Came Mustapha, the Ethiopian, into whose care the Sheikh had given his
wife all those years ago, when they had ridden out of the desert up to
his dwelling amongst the talik palms of the Flat Oasis.
He was on foot--not that he had done the entire journey in like
manner--and held the golden chain of the magnificent camel upon which
his mistress rode.
She rode in a palanquin of ivory with curtains of rose satin
embroidered in precious stones; on either side, also on camels, rode
two slaves who waved huge circular fans on long staffs to cool the air
about this woman who was so beloved throughout the land for her good
deeds and loving, helping hand.
She was in silk robes of rose covered in a satin cloak of deeper shade;
she was closely veiled as becomes the wife of a Mohammedan, and wore no
jewels save a rope of pearls; and her steady, wonderful blue eyes,
which were just twin heavens of happiness, shone with delight as she
looked up at the old woman who had known her as a girl, with her hair
hanging in two great plaits.
She put both hands to her forehead and spread them out in the beautiful
Eastern gesture of welcome, then bowed to her knees, as she passed.
Then, turning, she pulled her yashmak a little to one side. "_Petite
Maman_!" she cried. "Welcome, _Petite Maman_!" and blew her a kiss
from the tips of her rosy fingers.
Arrived at the entrance, the armed escort made a circle round her with
drawn knives; her camel knelt; a Persian carpet was laid across the
_quasi_-clean stones; then Mustapha the Ethiopian made a sign, upon
which Ameena, the little hunchback woman who loved her mistress more
than her life and who had been transported with joy when she had laid
the first-born, the son, in the mother's arms, came running swiftly.
Mustapha and Ameena lived one long life of secret feud; they fought
like cat and dog as to who could do the most in their mistress's
service; they stood shoulder to shoulder and fought everybody else in
the same good cause; and the huge man scowled fiercely as the deformed
little woman arranged the flowing robes and walked up the Persian
carpet behind the wife of the great Sheikh.
"Well, I never!" was Hobson's comment as she peeked from behind a door.
"Her grace must have made a mistake. You take that downstairs," she
added, coming boldly out onto the landing to intercept the slave with
the monkey. "Downstairs," and she pointed down to the entrance,
surging with people, "unless you want the place to be full of feathers
and fur!"
Jill stood in the doorway; looked across at her godmother, and made the
beautiful gesture of salutation, then removed her veil, picked up her
robes and ran across the room right into the outstretched arms.
Tears were very close as they laughed and held each other by the hand,
but the laughter died away altogether as they sat in the falling
shadows, the younger one with her head on the older one's lap.
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