The Washington times., 1922-06-05
Installment XVI.

How dare you?s she gasped.
You don't like it," he asked In
his low. unruffled voice. his eye
brows raised In real or assumed
surprise. yet 1t matches your
dress" and lightly his long fingers
touched the folds Of green silk
swathed across the youthful curve
Of her breast. He glanced at an
open box filled with shimmering
stones on low stool beside him.
Pearls are too cold and dia-
monds too banal for you" he said
slowly. You should wear nothing
but jade. 1t Is the colour Of the
evening sky against the sunset Of
your hair" ..
He had never spoken like this to
her before, or used that tone Of
voice. His methods had been more
fierce than. tender. She glanced
UP swiftly at his face. but 1t baf.
fled her. There was no love in his
eyes or even desire, nothing but an
unusual genueness. Perhaps you
would perfer the diamonds and the
pearls" he went on. pointing dis
dainfully at the box.
mo, no. hate them hate
them ALI Will not wear your
Jewels. You have no right to
think that I am that kind of .
woman" she cried hysterically.
You do not like them? Bon
Dieu! None Of the other women
ever refused them. On the con-
trary. they could never get
enough" he said with a laugh.
Diana looked up with a startled
glance a look Of horror dawning
in her eyes. "Other women7" she
repeated blankly.
You didn't suppose you were
the first, did your" he asked with
brutal candour. Don't look at me
like that They were not like you.
they came to me willingly enough
too willingly. Allah! How they
bored me! tired Of them before
they tired Of me-"
She flung her arm across her
eyes with q dry sob. straining
away from him. She had hevsr
thought of that. In the purity of
her mind It had never occurred to
Der. She was only one Of many.
one Of q succession Of mistressss,
taken and discarded at his whim.
She writhed with the shame that
filled her. 'Oh. you hurt me-" she
whispered very low. and then
anger killed all other feeling. He
had ioosened his arm about her
and she wrenched herself free and
sprang to her feet. "I hate you.
do you understand I hate you!
I hate your
He lit . cigarette leisurely before
answering and moved into q more
comfortable position on the divan.
80 you have already told mo this
afternoon" !" he said at length cooly,
...and with reiteration your remark
becomes less convincing. me
chsrie."
Her anger ebbed away. She
was too tired to be angry. She
was Inundated and hurt. and the
man before her had II in his power
to hurt her more, but she was at
his mercy and tonight she could
not fight. She pushed the hair
Off her forehead with a heavy sigh
and looked at the Sheik's long
length stretched out on the couch,
the steely strength Of his limbs
patent even in the indolent attitude
In which he was lying, at his
brown handsome face, inscrutable
as It always was to her. and the
feeling Of helpiessness came back
with renewed force and with II the
sense Of her own pitiful weakness
against his force. compelling her
to speak. Have you never felt
pity for q thing that was weaker
than yourself7 Have you never
spared anything or any one in all
your hfe7 Have you nothing in
your nature but cruelty7 Are Ill
Arabs hard like your" she asked
shakily. HAS love never even
made you merciful7"
He glanced UP at her with q
harsh laugh, and shook his head.
Lover Connsis pas! Yes, I DO"
he added with swift niockery, II
love my horses"
when you don't kill them,-
she retorted.
IT am corrected. When don't
kill them"
There was something in his
voice that made her reckless,
that made him want to hurt him.
"If you give no love to the
the woman whom you bring here.
do you give love to the women
of vour harem7 You bava