sand tells him secrets。〃
〃He says。 Do you believe it？〃
〃Would you like to test it？〃
〃How？〃
〃By coming with me to the /fumoir/？〃
She hesitated obviously。
〃Mind；〃 he added； 〃I do not press it。 A word from me and he is gone。
But you are fearless； and you have spoken already； will speak much
more intimately in the future； with the desert spirits。〃
〃How do you know that？〃
〃The 'much more intimately'？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃I do not know it； butwhich is much moreI feel it。〃
She was silent； looking towards the trees where the Diviner had
disappeared。 Count Anteoni's boyish merriment had faded away。 He
looked grave； almost sad。
〃I am not afraid；〃 she said at last。 〃No； butI will confess it
there is something horrible about that man to me。 I felt it the first
time I saw him。 His eyes are too intelligent。 They look diseased with
intelligence。〃
〃Let me send him away。 Smain！〃
But she stopped him。 Directly he made the suggestion she felt that she
must know more of this man。
〃No。 Let us go to the /fumoir/。〃
〃Very well。 Go； Smain！〃
Smain went into the little tent by the gate； sat down on his haunches
and began to smell at a sprig of orange blossoms。 Domini and the Count
walked into the darkness of the trees。
〃What is his name？〃 she asked。
〃Aloui。〃
〃Aloui。〃
She repeated the word slowly。 There was a reluctant and yet fascinated
sound in her voice。
〃There is melody in the name；〃 he said。
〃Yes。 Has hehas he ever looked in the sand for you？〃
〃Oncea long time ago。〃
〃May Idare I ask if he found truth there？〃
〃He found nothing for all the years that have passed since then。〃
〃Nothing！〃
There was a sound of relief in her voice。
〃For those years。〃
She glanced at him and saw that once again his face had lit up into
ardour。
〃He found what is still to come？〃 she said。
And he repeated：
〃He found what is still to come。〃
Then they walked on in silence till they saw the purple blossoms of
the bougainvillea clinging to the white walls of the /fumoir/。 Domini
stopped on the narrow path。
〃Is he in there？〃 she asked almost in a whisper。
〃No doubt。〃
〃Larbi was playing the first day I came here。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃I wish he was playing now。〃
The silence seemed to her unnaturally intense。
〃Even his love must have repose。〃
She went on a step or two till； but still from a distance； she could
look over the low plaster wall beneath the nearest window space into
the little room。
〃Yes； there he is；〃 she whispered。
The Diviner was crouching on the floor with his back towards them and
his head bent down。 Only his shoulders could be seen； covered with a
white gandoura。 They moved perpetually but slightly。
〃What is he doing？〃
〃Speaking with his ancestor。〃
〃His ancestor？〃
〃The sand。 Aloui！〃
He called softly。 The figure rose； without sound and instantly； and
the face of the Diviner smiled at them through the purple flowers。
Again Domini had the sensation that her body was a glass box in which
her thoughts； feelings and desires were ranged for this man's
inspection； but she walked resolutely through the narrow doorway and
sat down on one of the divans。 Count Anteoni followed。
She now saw that in the centre of the room； on the ground； there was a
symmetrical pyramid of sand； and that the Diviner was gently folding
together a bag in his long and flexible fingers。
〃You see！〃 said the Count。
She nodded； without speaking。 The little sand heap held her eyes。 She
strove to think it absurd and the man who had shaken it out a
charlatan of the desert； but she was really gripped by an odd feeling
of awe； as if she were secretly expectant of some magical
demonstration。
The Diviner squatted down once more on his haunches； stretched out his
fingers above the sand heap； looked at her and smiled。
〃La vie de MadameI see it in the sablela vie de Madame dans le
grand desert du Sahara。〃
His eyes seemed to rout out the secrets from every corner of her
being； and to scatter them upon the ground as the sand was scattered。
〃Dans le grand desert du Sahara；〃 Count Anteoni repeated； as if he
loved the music of the words。 〃Then there is a desert life for
Madame？〃
The Diviner dropped his fingers on to the pyramid； lightly pressing
the sand down and outward。 He no longer looked at Domini。 The
searching and the satire slipped away from his eyes and body。 He
seemed to have forgotten the two watchers and to be concentrated upon
the grains of sand。 Domini noticed that the tortured expression； which
had come into his face when she met him in the street and he stared
into the bag； had returned to it。 After pressing down the sand he
spread the bag which had held it at Domini's feet； and deftly
transferred the sand to it； scattering the grains loosely over the
sacking； in a sort of pattern。 Then； bending closely over them； he
stared at them in silence for a long time。 His pock…marked face was
set like stone。 His emaciated hands； stretched out； rested above the
grains like carven things。 His body seemed entirely breathless in its
absolute immobility。
The Count stood in the doorway； still as he was； surrounded by the
motionless purple flowers。 Beyond； in their serried ranks； stood the
motionless trees。 No incense was burning in the little brazier to…day。
This cloistered world seemed spell…bound。
A low murmur at last broke the silence。 It came from the Diviner。 He
began to talk rapidly； but as if to himself； and as he talked he moved
again； broke up with his fingers the patterns in the sand； formed
fresh ones； spirals； circles； snake…like lines； series of mounting
dots that reminded Domini of spray flung by a fountain； curves；
squares and oblongs。 So swiftly was it done and undone that the sand
seemed to be endowed with life； to be explaining itself in these
patterns； to be presenting deliberate glimpses of hitherto hidden
truths。 And always the voice went on； and the eyes were downcast； and
the body； save for the moving hands and arms； was absolutely
motionless。
Domini looked over the Diviner to Count Anteoni； who came gently
forward and sat down； bending his head to listen to the voice。
〃Is it Arabic？〃 she whispered。
He nodded。
〃Can you understand it？〃
〃Not yet。 Presently it will get slower； clearer。 He always begins like
this。〃
〃Translate it for me。〃
〃Exactly as it is？〃
〃Exactly as it is。〃
〃Whatever it may be？〃
〃Whatever it may be。〃
He glanced at the tortured face of the Diviner and looked grave。
〃Remember you have said I am fearless；〃 she said。
He answered：
〃Whatever it is you shall know it。〃
Then they were silent again。 Gradually the Diviner's voice grew
clearer； the pace of its words less rapid； but always it sounded
mysterious and inward； less like the voice of a man than the distant
voice of a secret。
〃I can hear now；〃 whispered the Count。
〃What is he saying？〃
〃He is speaking about the desert。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃He sees a great storm。 Wait a moment！〃
The voice spoke for some seconds and ceased； and once again the
Diviner remained absolutely motionless； with his hands extended above
the grains like carven things。
〃He sees a great sand…storm； one of the most terrible that has ever
burst over the Sahara。 Everything is blotted out。 The desert vanishes。
Beni…Mora is hidden。 It is day； yet there is a darkness like night。 In
this darkness he sees a train of camels waiting by a church。〃
〃A mosque？〃
〃No； a church。 In the church there is a sound of music。 The roar of
the wind； the roar of the camels； mingles with the chanting and drowns
it。 He cannot hear it any more。 It is as if the desert is angry and
wishes to kill the music。 In the church your life is beginning。〃
〃My life？〃
〃Your real life。 He says that now you are fully born； that till now
there has been a veil around your soul like the veil of the womb
around a child。〃
〃He says that！〃
There was a sound of deep emotion in her voice。
〃That is all。 The roar of the wind from the desert has silenced the
music in the church； and all is dark。〃
The Diviner moved again； and formed fresh patterns in the sand with
feverish rapidity； and again began to speak swiftly。
〃He sees the train of camels that waited by the church starting on a
desert journey。 The storm has not abated。 They pass through the oasis
into the desert。 He sees them going towards the south。〃
Domini leaned forward on the divan； looking at Count Anteoni above the
bent body of the Diviner。
〃By what route？〃 she whispered。
〃By the route which the natives call the road to Tombouctou。〃
〃Butit is my journey！〃
〃Upon one of the camels； in a palanquin such as the great sheikhs use
to carry their women； there are two people； protected against the
storm by curtains。 They are silent； listening to the roaring of the
wind。 One of them is you。〃
〃Two people！〃
〃Two people。〃
〃Butwho is the other？〃
〃He cannot see。 It is as if the blackness of the storm were deeper
round about the other and hid the other from him。 The caravan passes
on and is lost in the desolation and the storm。〃
She said nothing； but looked down at the thin body of the Diviner
crouched close to her knees。 Was this pock…marked fac