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"Then, by Allah, there can be no going back now," said Ben Aboo; and he told her what was the penalty of apostasy. It was death. She must choose between them. Naomi began to cry, and Ben Aboo to laugh at her and Habeebah to plead with her. Still she saw one thing only. "But what of my father?" she said. "He shall be liberated," said Ben Aboo. "But shall I see him again?

The differences of faith were less than nothing, but her father was everything, and so she clutched at Habeebah's bold promises like a drowning soul at the froth of a breaker. "My father will be let out of prison? You are sure quite sure?" she asked. "Quite sure," answered Habeebah stoutly.

"Come," said Habeebah; "let us go we are not safe." "Yes," said Fatimah; "let us take the poor child back." "Come along, then," said Habeebah, and she laid hold of Naomi's hand. "Naomi, Naomi," whispered Fatimah in the girl's ear, "we are going home. Come, dearest, come." But Naomi was not to be moved. No gentle voice availed to stir her.

After that he described the girl's journey in the hope of taking food to him, and how she fell into the hands of Habeebah; and then he saw by Israel's face that the affection of the father was tearing his old heart woefully. "My poor darling!" he muttered in a trembling undertone, and then he asked in a faltering voice where she was at that time.

He told her, with many throbs in his throat, that she was not like other maidens not like her father, or Ali, or Fatimah, or Habeebah; that she was a being afflicted of God; that there was something she had not got, something she could not do, a world she did not know, and had never yet so much as dreamt of. Darkness was more than cold and quiet, and light was more than warmth and noise.

The black woman Habeebah opened it cautiously, and, seeing his jellab, she clashed it back in his face. "Habeebah!" he cried, and he knocked once more. Then Ali came to the door. "What Moorish man are you?" cried Ali, pushing him back as he pressed forward. "Ali! Hush! It is I Israel." Then Ali knew him and cried, "God save us! What has happened?" "What has happened here?" said Israel.

Naomi gave one dazed look around, and then cried in a voice of fear "No, no, no!" Ben Aboo glanced at Habeebah, and Habeebah fell upon Naomi with protests and remonstrances. "She said so," Habeebah cried. "'I will turn Muslima, she said. Yes, Sidi, she said so, I swear it!" "Did you say so?" asked Ben Aboo. "Yes," said Naomi faintly.

She had almost resolved to return, struggle as she might to push forward, when going close under the town walls, near to the very gate, the Bab Toot whereat she had been cast out with her father remembering this scene of their abasement with a new sense of its cruelty and shame born of her own simple troubles, she lit upon a woman who was coming out. It was Habeebah.

"Sidi," said Habeebah, "I have promised that you will liberate her father." "Fetch her," said Ben Aboo, "and it shall be done." But meanwhile Fatimah had gone to Habeebah's room and found Naomi there, and heard of the vain hope which had brought her. "My sweet jewel of gold and silver," the black woman cried, "you don't know what you are doing.

And when she came and he had kissed her, bidding her farewell in silence, his heart misgave him concerning her, and, after raising his foot to the stirrup, he returned to where she stood in the patio with the two bondwomen beside her. "Is she well?" he asked. "Oh yes, well very well," said Fatimah, and Habeebah echoed her.