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Updated: April 30, 2025
Tess and Hasamurti used to watch them under the trees, ready to give the alarm in case of interruption, sometimes near enough to catch the murmured flow of confidence uniting them in secrecy of sacred, unconforming interviews.
"Beware, woman, lest the gods hear sacrilege!" "If they are real gods they love me," she answered, "If they have any sense they will be pleased whenever I laugh at your idolatry. Hasamurti stays." "But at the first imaginary insult she will run with information to wherever it will do most harm. If she can be made properly afraid, perhaps " Yasmini's golden laugh cut him off short.
Yasmini took Tess by the hand and walked out with her, followed closely by Hasamurti and the other women, between the pomegranates to the gate in the garden wall. From that moment, though, she stood alone and never touched hand, or sought as much as the supporting glances of her women until they came back at midnight.
Not a word passed her lips until they reached the house, crossed the wide garden between pomegranate shrubs, and entered the dark door across the body of a sleeping watchman or a watchman who could make believe he slept. Then: "Good night!" she said simply. "Sleep well! Sweet dreams! Come, Hasamurti your hands are cleverer than the other women's."
Now all eyes were on the dais and the door behind it. In the inner room the women stirred and whispered, while a dozen of them, putting on their veils again, gathered around Yasmini, waiting in silence for her to give the cue. She waited long enough to whet the edge of expectation, and then nodded. Hasamurti opened the door wide and Yasmini stepped forth, aglitter with her jewels.
If a maid were awake to sing to me but they sleep like the dead after the camel-ride, and Hasamurti, who sings best, is weariest of all." "Suppose I sing to you?" said Tess. "No, no; you are tired too." "Nonsense! It's nearly morning. I have slept for hours. Let me come and sing to you." "Can you? Will you? I am full of gladness, and my brain whirls with a thousand thoughts, but I ought to sleep."
Then, listening to the punkah's regular soft swing, she herself fell forward on her arms, half-resting on the bed, half on the chair, until Hasamurti crept in silently and, laughing, lifted her up beside Yasmini and left her there until the two awoke near noon, wondering, in each other's arms.
The afternoon wore on in drowsy quiet, both of the girls sleeping at intervals waited on at intervals by Hasamurti with fruit and cooling drinks Yasmini silent oftener than not as the sun went lower, as if the details of what she had to do that night were rehearsing themselves in her mind.
Then she turned and went, not looking back at him, walking erect, as one whose lover is the son of twenty kings. Without a word she took Tess and Hasamurti by the hand, and, looking straight before her with blue eyes glowing at the welling joy of thoughts too marvelous for speech, led them to the lane the village street and the door in the wall again.
Only I must study how to walk as you do; please walk along in front of me that way follow Hasamurti through that door into my room. I will study how you move your feet and shoulders." Looking back as she followed Hasamurti, Tess witnessed a caricature of herself that made her laugh until the tears came. "It is well!" said Yasmini. "This night began in hunger, like the young moon.
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