Evening star., 1933-05-28
CHAPTER XXI.
Margaret Perplexed.


A S MARGARET approached the
n heavy iron-studded garden door
~ at the foot of the staircase that
4 a led up to the apartments Of the
Lady Ell lisa Beth Ell Ain, who
was also the Sonora Maligni, an old
man, clad in q dirty hooded cloak, rose
from the great squared stone that was
at once a mounting block and a door
step.
Il want to see :" began Margaret
and, as the man shook his head, realized
that it was useless to speak to him In
English.
"Je desire :" and again the man
shock his head, and, with uplifted out
spread hand signed TO her to stay
where she was. while with the other
he pointed first TO himself and then
to the stairs.
In the shadow Of the vast wall OF
the courtyard. Margaret waited until
HasSen el Miskeen, reappearing, beck
oned to her to come with him.
Followed by Margaret. the doorkeeper
climbed three steep flights OF stairs and
traversed several dark and airless stone
corridors.
At another heavy iron-studded door
he halted, unfastened 1t, pushed 1t open
and held aside a heavy curtain fOr
Margaret to enter.
The conversation that ensued was diff
ficul' and unsatisfactory. both by rea-
son " the ladies' lack of proficiency In
one uf their mutual languages-whicfl
were English and French-and by rea-
son OF what Margaret considered the
others unreasonable attitude.
Eyes, my son Jules is here" Mar
garet understood her to say In heI
curious English and still more faulty
French. He Is ill-very i'll. 1t is your
fault. II he could have stayed with
me he would never have learnt these
nasty foreign habits. And why are you
SO cold? And why are you not obedient
to Jules, as good wife should always
be to her husband?"
In English where she could, and In
French where she must Margaret en-
deavored to point out that 1t was only
when he had returned to his own
country that Jules had developed bad
habits. and that in England he had
been as abstemious as the average Eng
lish gentleman and had never. on any
occasion, so far as she knew, drunk
more than was good for him.
Whereat the mother shrugged and
looked skeptical.
Nor should Ell Isa Beth el Ain forget
that she too had English blood in heI
veins, and that an English wife held a
position very different from that of ar
Arab wife. They were not slaves, and
it was not expected Of them that they
should be unquestioningly obedient to
their husbands. They were their hus-
bands partners. friends and equals
not their chattels.
Jules Is not my master"
isn't he your husband? Aren't you
married."
Yes, he is my husband"
very well. then ?"
I'm any case" Margaret pointed out
there is no question of my leaving my
husband. I'm not talking OF leaving
here alone. Jules will accompany me
of course. We only came here ON q
visit"
"A visit" smiled Ell Isa Beth ell Ain
Apparently Jules doesn't tell you as
much as he tells his mother. 1t will
be long visit"
"Why?"
why? Because this is his home
or. at any rate, Morocco is his home
He has got TO come into his fathers
business and that is here in Mekazzen
and Tengier, and sometimes in Gibral-
tar, where my mother came from. and
in Marseille"
u am certainly not going to live In
Morocco" said Margaret.
Then it's pity you married a man
who is"
Yes"
El Isa Beth ell Ain shrugged eloquent
Shoulders
Anyhow" said Margaret, Il will see
Jules now"
He Is sleeping. He is very ILL.,"
All the more reason Why l should
be with him. If he is i'll, l am the
proper person to nurse him"
Mothers sometimes make good
nurses. I will nurse him"
I'll help you then" smiled Margaret
automatically.