Page:A child of the Orient (IA childoforient00vakarich).pdf/115

 when I visited there; and Sitanthy and I would call the simitzi, passing by with his wares on his head, and we would buy four of his delectable simit, big enough to wear as bracelets—until we had eaten them.

Then came afternoons when we were given only a halfpenny, and each of us had only one simit; and then there was a time when the hanoum had not even a halfpenny, and she wept because she could not buy us simit. That was the day that the halaïc was cruel. She laughed at the sorrow of her mistress, and derided her; and the old hanoum was so mortified that she stopped crying at once.

It happened that one day I was taken suddenly ill while playing with Sitanthy; and the old hanoum sent word to my home, begging leave to keep me in her house, in order that I should not be moved, and imploring to be trusted.

It was the halaïc who took care of me. She made up two little beds, and slept herself between them. The old hanoum brought a brazier into the room, filled with lighted charcoal, and on it she heated olive oil in a tin saucer. When it was very hot they took off my nightgown, sprinkled dried camomiles all over me; and the halaïc, dipping her hands into the scorching oil, began to rub me. She rubbed and rubbed, till I screamed, and was limp as a rag. But I fell into refreshing slumber immediately afterwards.