Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/137

 nose frozen and her large eyes red and inflamed from excessive weeping, you would have wondered at it.

At what?

Well, here goes—I may as well make a clean breast of it. Remember I had seen her before and almost in pura naturalibus. I was in love with the “China girl” as the Doctor liked to call her—that was all.

Walla! Walla! Ah! how much power the mere mention of your name had to move me then! But one word in self-justification and then on to other matters. Even the Rev. Philpot admitted that never in all his wanderings had he seen beauty equal to Walla Benjow’s, and that is saying a great deal.

As for the character of the poor child I need only say here that she was all affection and most gentle in her manners. Still I never dreamed of the intensity of passion of which she was capable, and I am sure Maurice didn’t; furthermore—but I have said too much already. Let what remains develope itself.

Ten o’clock that morning saw us on the road again. Walla accompanied us, of course, for we had promised to do what we could to send her on to her relatives in the  Kuen-lun country.

I remember how I fought against my feelings all that day. How amazed I was at myself for even permitting them to arise within me; I who had married and suffered; I who  had sworn that no woman’s face should ever again cause me  a minute’s thought. Do not be amazed when I confess the nature of those disturbing sentiments for the Doctor has  already hinted at it.

Jealousy! Just think of it. I was jealous of Maurice.

“Ha! ha!” sneered Philpot, as he caught me looking toward them on one occasion when they were riding double on Maurice’s mule. “Ha! ha! You’re a fine philosopher, you are! Didn’t you tell me you’d had enough of the women? Can’t you see that those big eyes ain’t turning your way? Be as I am, man! I wouldn’t waste a moment’s thought on the prettiest piece of femininity that ever stepped.”

I turned on him then and administered a scathing rebuke. Heavens! I wished most devoutly I could echo his sentiments before we saw the great gate that admitted us to the lamasery of Psam-dagong.

It was just at sundown. The thermometer must have