Page:A child of the Orient (IA childoforient00vakarich).pdf/70

 burned Constantinople, and killed the people," Djimlah moaned.

"That was because Allah willed it. Nothing happens without the will of Allah, and his word must be carried by the sword. We like you and love you, and could no more harm you than we could harm Djimlah." She leaned over and took me on her lap. "Now, yavroum, remember that Allah is father to you all, and he loves you equally well; and all you have to do is to love each other and be good and go to sleep, and that will please him."

She kissed me, and drew Djimlah to us, and made us kiss each other.

A latent sense of justice made me recognize how good she was; and although I did not relinquish my nationality as a bit of geography, I recognized that there was something in what she said. So I kissed the old hanoum, and kissed Djimlah, and obediently was led away to bed. Then she sat by us and sang us a little lullaby.

After she had left us Djimlah put her arms around me and whispered: "Do you love me again? For I love you just the same, and when we grow up let us marry the same effendi, and never be separated."

I did not go away the next day because Djimlah would not listen to it. She was afraid lest I should keep to my first intention, and never return. She wanted to talk over everything