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Show never occurred to her even for a moment that the Zibans could ever be brought to Chester Street. The sound of the river sank to a softer note as its bed widened out, leaving space for the released waters to flow quietly towards the palmtrees of the first oasis. Through the great natural aperture in the wall of rock a vague vision of glimmering spaces showed itself, like a mirage of eternity washed with silver. Lady Wyverne stood still. "No farther," she said. "This was where we stopped last night." "One step farther to-night, madame!" said the Spahi. " One little step." with his hand outthe red folds of his "The desert, madame. Listen!" Lady Wyverne looked at him. He had spoken with so much authority that she did not smile at his remark or think it ridiculous. listened, like one in expects tion of j some distant sound, some voice from the far away that Jay beyond the - spaces her eyes could see. But in the deep silence of the night she heard only the murmur of the river flowing into the moving shadows of the palms. "There's no voice," she said, at last. I "There is a voice for me," he an. swered. "But I am a son of the ,,UI desert." "Do you love it?" "I belong to it. It has no secrets from me. I have learned all its lessons." "Could I learn them?" ~· She spoke with a sort of modesty very unusual in her. 37 |