Page:A child of the Orient (IA childoforient00vakarich).pdf/117

 She watered all the trees of this clump, counting the drops as they fell: "Bir, iki, utch, dort, besh, alti, yedi." On the seventh she always stopped, and went on to the next tree. She did all the counting without dropping the lighted candles from her mouth—which was very hard, for I tried it a few days later.

After the watering was ended, she blew out the candles, fell prone on the earth, and begged Allah, the Powerful, Allah, the Almighty, to forgive her. She wailed and wept, and told Allah over and over that she was doing everything according to his bidding, for the sake of his forgiveness.

Hidden in the shrubbery close by, I wondered what could be the crime of that radiant creature, who had enthralled and captivated my imagination.

At length she rose, and danced a weird dance to the mouse-eaten looking moon, in turn beseeching her:

"Queen of the Night, Guardian of Womanly Secrets, Mother of Silent Hours—intercede for me—help me!"

She danced on and on, till she was quite worn out, and fell on the ground weeping.

I could endure no more; besides my teeth were chattering, and all the aches that were so especially my own took possession of my frail body again. I came out of my hiding-place to where the halaïc lay.