Page:Ossendowski - The Fire of Desert Folk.djvu/227

Rh brought with pink soap and a pink-embroidered towel, and all of us in turn washed with infinite pleasure and relief. After the ablutions servants brought frankincense and they sprayed our costumes with rose and violet perfumes, following which tea was served with the everpresent agreeable aroma of mint and accompanied by additional sweets.

"With the tea before us, Madame Halmagrand asked the cadi to join us, whereupon the old man saluted in quite a military fashion, removed his sandals to come to us barefooted as a mark of his deep respect and took his place on the cushions. During the interval between the last course and the serving of tea he had disappeared for a few moments to partake of his own banquet with his sons in a neighboring room. The wives and daughters ate after them and what was left was for the servants.

"At ten o'clock we arose to go and were escorted to the door with many expressions of good-will and felicity. The old cadi was very anxious to meet my husband and exhibited a redoubled interest and respect when he was shown the ruby ring which I was wearing and which had been given him by the Hutuktu of Narabanchi Kuré in Mongolia during his flight from Krasnoyarsk in 1920.

"On my return to the hotel I found my invalid better and demanding food, so I finally yielded and gave him a cup of tea with two soft-boiled eggs and some bread and butter. I was afraid it might be too much for him this after my own dinner in the household of the cadi!"

On the evening of our last day in the capital of the Black Tyrant we sallied out to have a final look at the ruins and the town. The moon was already far up by