see them go。
〃Society in the sands！〃 she exclaimed gaily。 〃Boris； this is a new
experience。 Look at our guests making their way to their palaces！〃
Slowly the potentates progressed across the white dunes towards the
city。 Shabah wore a long red cloak。 His brother was in pink and gold；
with white billowing trousers。 The Caid of the Nomads was in green。
They all moved with a large and conscious majesty； surrounded by their
obsequious attendants。 Above them the purple sky showed a bright
evening star。 Near it was visible the delicate silhouette of the young
moon。 Scattered over the waste rose many koubbahs； grey in the white；
with cupolas of gypse。 Hundreds of dogs were barking in the distance。
To the left； on the vast； rolling slopes of sand； glared the
innumerable fires kindled before the tents of the Ouled Nails。 Before
the sleeping tent rose the minarets and the gilded cupolas of the city
which it dominated from its mountain of sand。 Behind it was the
blanched immensity of the plain； of the lonely desert from which
Domini and Androvsky had come to face this barbaric stir of life。 And
the city was full of music； of tomtoms throbbing； of bugles blowing in
the Kasba； of pipes shrieking from hidden dwellings； and of the faint
but multitudinous voices of men； carried to them on their desolate and
treeless height by the frail wind of night that seemed a white wind；
twin…brother of the sands。
〃Let us go a step or two towards the city； Boris；〃 Domini said； as
their guests sank magnificently down into a fold of the dunes。
〃Towards the city！〃 he answered。 〃Why not？〃 He glanced behind him to
the vacant； noiseless sands。
She set her impulse against his for the first time。
〃No； this is our town life； our Sahara season。 Let us give ourselves
to it。 The loneliness will be its antidote some day。〃
〃Very well； Domini；〃 he answered。
They went a little way towards the city； and stood still in the sand
at the edge of their height。
〃Listen； Boris！ Isn't it strange in the night all this barbaric music？
It excites me。〃
〃You are glad to be here。〃
She heard the note of disappointment in his voice； but did not respond
to it。
〃And look at all those fires； hundreds of them in the sand！〃
〃Yes；〃 he said； 〃it is wonderful； but the solitudes are best。 This is
not the heart of the desert； this is what the Arabs call it； 'The
belly of the Desert。' In the heart of the desert there is silence。〃
She thought of the falling of the wind when the Sahara took them； and
knew that her love of the silence was intense。 Nevertheless； to…night
the other part of her was in the ascendant。 She wanted him to share
it。 He did not。 Could she provoke him to share it？
〃Yet； as we rode in； I had a feeling that the heart of the desert was
here；〃 she said。 〃You know I said so。〃
〃Do you say so still？〃
〃The heart； Boris； is the centre of life； isn't it？〃
He was silent。 She felt his inner feeling fighting hers。
〃To…night；〃 she said； putting her arm through his； and looking towards
the city。 〃I feel a tremendous sympathy with human life such as I
never felt before。 Boris； it comes to me from you。 Yes； it does。 It is
born of my love for you； and seems to link me； and you with me； to all
these strangers； to all men and women； to everything that lives。 It is
as if I was not quite human before； and my love for you had made me
completely human； had done something to me that eveneven my love for
God had not been able to do。〃
She lowered her voice at the last words。 After a moment she added：
〃Perhaps in isolation； even with you； I could not come to
completeness。 Perhaps you could not in isolation even with me。 Boris；
I think it's good for us to be in the midst of life for a time。〃
〃You wish to remain here； Domini？〃
〃Yes； for a time。〃
The fatalistic feeling that had sometimes come upon her in this land
entered into her at this moment。 She felt； 〃It is written that we are
to remain here。〃
〃Let us remain here； Domini；〃 he said quietly。
The note of disappointment had gone out of his voice； deliberately
banished from it by his love for her； but she seemed to hear it；
nevertheless； echoing far down in his soul。 At that moment she loved
him like a woman he had made a lover； but also like a woman he had
made a mother by becoming a child。
〃Thank you； Boris；〃 she answered very quietly。 〃You are good to me。〃
〃You are good to me；〃 he said； remembering the last words of Father
Roubier。 〃How can I be anything else？〃
Directly he had spoken the words his body trembled violently。
〃Boris； what is it？〃 she exclaimed； startled。
He took his arm away from hers。
〃Thesethese noises of the city in the night coming across the sand…
hills are extraordinary。 I have become so used to silence that perhaps
they get upon my nerves。 I shall grow accustomed to them presently。〃
He turned towards the tents； and she went with him。 It seemed to her
that he had evaded her question； that he had not wished to answer it；
and the sense sharply awakened in her by a return to life near a city
made her probe for the reason of this。 She did not find it； but in her
mental search she found herself presently at Mogar。 It seemed to her
that the same sort of uneasiness which had beset her husband at Mogar
beset him now more fiercely at Amara； that； as he had just said； his
nerves were being tortured by something。 But it could not be the
noises from the city。
After dinner Batouch came to the tent to suggest that they should go
down with him into the city。 Domini； feeling certain that Androvsky
would not wish to go； at once refused； alleging that she was tired。
Batouch then asked Androvsky to go with him； and； to Domini's
astonishment； he said that if she did not mind his leaving her for a
short time he would like a stroll。
〃Perhaps；〃 he said to her； as Batouch and he were starting； 〃perhaps
it will make me more completely human； perhaps there is something
still to be done that even you； Domini； have not accomplished。〃
She knew he was alluding to her words before dinner。 He stood looking
at her with a slight smile that did not suggest happiness； then added：
〃That link you spoke of between us and these strangers〃he made a
gesture towards the city〃I ought perhaps to feel it more strongly
than I do。 II will try to feel it。〃
Then he turned away； and went with Batouch across the sand…hills；
walking heavily。
As Domini watched him going she felt chilled； because there was
something in his manner； in his smile； that seemed for the moment to
set them apart from each other； something she did not understand。
Soon Androvsky disappeared in a fold of the sands as he had
disappeared in a fold of the sands at Mogar； not long before De
Trevignac came。 She thought of Mogar once more； steadily； reviewing
mentallywith the renewed sharpness of intellect that had returned to
her； brought by contact with the cityall that had passed there； as
she never reviewed it before。
It had been a strange episode。
She began to walk slowly up and down on the sand before the tent。
Ouardi came to walk with her； but she sent him away。 Before doing so；
however； something moved her to ask him：
〃That African liqueur； Ouardiyou remember that you brought to the
tent at Mogarhave we any more of it？〃
〃The monk's liqueur； Madame？〃
〃What do you meanmonk's liqueur？〃
〃It was invented by a monk； Madame； and is sold by the monks of El…
Largani。〃
〃Oh！ Have we any more of it？〃
〃There is another bottle； Madame； but I should not dare to bring it
if〃
He paused。
〃If what； Ouardi？〃
〃If Monsieur were there。〃
Domini was on the point of asking him why； but she checked herself and
told him to leave her。 Then she walked up and down once more on the
sand。 She was thinking now of the broken glass on the ground at
Androvsky's feet when she found him alone in the tent after De
Trevignac had gone。 Ouardi's words made her wonder whether this
liqueur； brought to celebrate De Trevignac's presence in the camp； had
turned the conversation upon the subject of the religious orders；
whether Androvsky had perhaps said something against them which had
offended De Trevignac； a staunch Catholic； whether there had been a
quarrel between the two men on the subject of religion。 It was
possible。 She remembered De Trevignac's strange； almost mystical；
gesture in the dawn； following his look of horror towards the tent
where her husband lay sleeping。
To…night her mindher whole naturefelt terribly alive。
She tried to think no more of Mogar； but her thoughts centred round
it； linked it with this great city； whose lights shone in the distance
below her； whose music came to her from afar over the silence of the
sands。
Mogar and Amara； what had they to do with one another？ Leagues of
desert divided them。 One was a desolation； the other was crowded with
men。 What linked them together in her mind？
Androvsky's fear of boththat was the link。 She kept on thinking of
the glance he had cast at the watch…tower； to which Trevignac had been
even then approaching； although they knew it not。 De Trevignac！ She
walked faster on the sand； to and fro before the tent。 Why had he
looked at the tent in which