The Irish standard., 1909-11-20

"Allah forbid! But if such thing
happened, should you.wsh to go back
to your own people? Or would you
learn to speak the Frank and live in
Europe?"
IF he were dead, which may Allah
avert" Baraka answered calmly, II
think l would ask you to find me
husband"
"Ah!" Logotheti could not repress
the little exclamation of surprise.
yes. 1t is shame for woman
not to be married. Am an evil sight,
or poor, that should go down to the
| grave childless? Or is there any re-
proach upon me? Therefore l would
ask you for husband, because l
have no other friend but only you
among the Feringhis. But if you
would not, I would go to Constanti-
| nople again, and to the Persian mer-
chants house, and would say to his
wife: Get me a husband, for l am
not cripple, nor a monster nor is
there any reproach upon me, and why
should l be childless?' Moreover I
would say to the merchants wife:
Behold, have great wealth, and
will have rich husband, and one who
is young and pleasing to me, and who
will not take another wife; and if you
bring me such man. for whatsoever
his riches may be, will pay you five
per cent"
Having made this remarkable state.
ment of her intentions, Baraka was
silent, expecting Logotheti to say
something. What struck him was not
the concluding sentence, for Asiatic
match-makers and reace-makers are
= generally paid on some such basis,
md the slim Tartar girl had proved
long ago that she was woman of
business. What impressed Logotheti
much more was what seemed the cool
cynicism Of her point of view. 1t was
evidently not romantic passion for
kralinsky that had brought her from
beyond Turkestan to London and
Paris; her view had been simpler and
more practical; she had seen the man
who suited her, she had told him SO,
and had given him the secret of great
wealth. and in return she expected
him to marry her, If she found him
alive. But If not, she would imme-
diately take steps to obtain another to
1ll his place and be her husband, and
she was willing to pay high price to
any one who could find one for her.
Logotheti had half expected some
such thing, but was not prepared for
her extreme directness still less had
he thought of becoming the matri-
monial agent who was to find a match
worthy of her hand and fortune. She
was sitting beside him in a little
ready-made French dress, open at the
throat, and only bit of veil twisted
round her hair, as any European
woman might wear it; possibly it was
her dress that made what she said
sound strangely in his ears, though 1t
would have struck him az natural
enough If she had been muffled in a
yashmak and ferajeh, on the deck of
a Bosphorus ferry boat
He said nothing in answer, and sat
thinking the matter over
Il could not offer to pay you five
per cent" she said after time, "be-
cause you are king, but could give
you one of the fine rubies l have left
and you would look at it sometimes
and rejoice because you had found
Baraka good husband"
Logotheti laughed low. She amused
him exceedingly, and there were mo-
ments when he felt a new charm he
had never known before.
"Why do you laugh?" Baraka asked,
a little disturbed II would give you
a good ruby A king may receive a
good ruby as gift and not despise
it. Why do you laugh at me? There
came two German merchants to me in
Paris to see my rubies, and when they
had looked, they bought a good one,
but not better than the one l would
give you, and spiro heard them say
to each other. in their own language
that it was for their king, for Spiro
understands all tongues. Then do
you think that their king would not
have been glad if had given him the
ruby as a gift? You cannot mock
Baraka. Baraka knows what rubies
are worth, and has some still"
Il do not mock YOU" Logotheti an
swered, with perfect gravity. II
laugh at my own thoughts. I said in
my heart: If Baraka asks me for a
husband, what will she say If I an
swer. Behold, am the man, If you
are satisfied This was my thought"
She was appeased at once, for she
saw nothing extraordinary in his sug-
gestion. She looked at him quietly
and smiled, for she saw her chance.
1T Is emptiness" she said. II will
have man who has no other wife,"
Precisely" Logotheti answered,
smiling. II never had one"
Now you are indeed mocking mel"
she said. bending her sharp.drawn
eyebrows
mo. Every one knows 1t who
knows me. In Europe, men do not
always marry very young. 1t is not
fixed custom"
Il have heard So" Baraka an,