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She ran to Ali Baba in alarm, and said: "I believe, brother-in-law, that you know Cassim, your brother, is gone to the forest, and upon what account; it is now night, and he is not returned; I am afraid some misfortune has happened to him."
Besides, I'd often told him I wanted to die, so that was an incentive to keep me alive. I didn't go to Mecca. I left the farm-house with Cassim, and he took me to South Oran, where he is now. I had to stay in the care of a marabouta, a terrible old woman, a bigot and a tyrant, a cousin of Cassim's, on his mother's side, and a sister of the man who invented the whole plot.
"She hadn't begun to dance yet, when Cassim saw her, and took her away from Touggourt. Being a great saint is very convenient. A marabout can do what he likes, you know. Mussulmans are forbidden to touch alcohol, but if a marabout drinks wine, it turns to milk in his throat. He can fly, if he wants to.
You taught me to dance, and it's by dancing I've earned such a lot almost a fortune. So you see, it's yours. I've got enough to bribe Cassim to let you go, if he likes money, and isn't kind to you. Because, if he isn't kind, it must be a sign he doesn't love you, really." Saidee laughed, a very bitter laugh. "He does like money. And he doesn't like me at all any more."
But now, Maïeddine will be watching us like a lynx or like an Arab. It's the same thing where women are concerned." "Why should the marabout care what I do?" asked Victoria. "He's nothing to us, is he? except that I suppose Cassim must have some high position in his Zaouïa." "A high position! I forgot, you couldn't know since Maïeddine hid everything from you.
The woman died suddenly of chloral poisoning, after a quarrel with her husband on Cassim's account, and it was thought she'd taken too much of the drug on purpose. The day after his wife's death, the officer shot himself. I think he was a colonel; and every one knew that Cassim was mixed up in the affair. He had to leave the army, and it seemed he thought so himself that his career was ruined.
They found all the bags which Cassim had brought to the door, to be ready to load his mules, and carried them again to their places, without missing what Ali Baba had taken away before. Then holding a council, and deliberating upon this occurrence, they guessed that Cassim, when he was in, could not get out again; but could not imagine how he had entered.
I was like a fairy princess among them, until one day a woman told me a thing about Cassim. She told me because she was spiteful and wanted to make me miserable, of course, for I found out afterwards she'd been expressly forbidden to speak, on account of my 'prejudices' they'd all been forbidden. I wouldn't believe at first, but it was true the others couldn't deny it.
Departure of Captain Keppel, and arrival of Sir E. Belcher. Mr. Brooke proceeds, with Muda Hassim, in the Samarang to Borneo. Labuan examined. Returns to Sarawak. Visit of Lingire, a Sarebus chief. The Dyaks of Tumma and Bandar Cassim. Meets an assembly of Malays and Dyaks. Arrival of Lingi, as a deputation from the Sakarran chiefs. The Malay character. Excursion up the country.
But we shall soon see for we must obey. If we didn't go down of our own accord, we'd soon be forced to go." "Perhaps Cassim will let me talk to Mr. Knight," said the girl. "He is more likely to throw you to his lion, in the court," Saidee answered, with a laugh. They went down into the garden, and remained there alone. Nothing happened except that, after a while, they heard a noise of pounding.
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