Six Women

ngalow in the palms, and drank of the wine of life togethe

going beyond the precincts of the house and

nto the dusty way? What had she to seek? Her garden of Eden, h

res to her, and Hamilton sat by her in the verandah, commanding her

alked from room to room singing, clothed in purple silken gauze, with his jewels blazing on her breast, his kisses still burning on her lips. Then she would take her rabab and play to the listening flowers, or practise her dan

easure. This wonderful exotic, this flower of happiness, that bloomed so vividly in the dark, secluded recesses of his heart, how did he know that the destructive heat a

im no anxiety. It was not a dangerous experiment, as it always is to leave a European woman alone. He knew that Saidie, the Oriental, would spend the whole time dreaming of him,

d vigour, this security, this certainty of

oss, Hamilton, full of unused strength, and thirsty after the joy of life, now that the cup was offered him

had found both, and with simple, uncavilling thankfulness

milton left the office at two on Saturday aft

first glimmer of dawn. Everything would be prepared overnight for a day's

e early tender light stole softly through the palms; and they would mount and go swinging out through the great open spaces of the desert, full of delicate white light, towards the sister-oasis of D

The long ride in the keen air of the morning gave them great appetites, and they enjoyed it in the whole joyous beauty of the scene round them. The palm branches over them grew gold against the laughing blue of the sky, a thousand shafts of sunlight pierced through the fan-lik

singing at the foot of a palm, weaving a garland of white c

kes his pleasure. Looking at them standing or sitting in their harmonious groups against a background of golden light and delicate shade, Hamilton often thought how well this scene compared with that of the Britisher taking a holiday-Hampstead Heath, for instance, with its noisy drunkenness, its spirit of hateful spite,

own business. Therefore Hamilton and Saidie were not troubled by offensive stares, or in any other way. All there were free, gathered to enjoy themselves, each man in his own way; and the

the enchantment of rich light and colour, soft beauty before the eyes, sweet scent of t

the still rose-hued sky, did they rise from the side of the spring and begin to think of their homeward ride. And what a delight it was that night ride home through the majestic silence of the desert, where their own hearts' beating and

gainst her side, it seemed as if her happiness was too great for the human frame to bear, as if it must dissolve, melt into nothingness,

he hours on their winged feet danced by, and these two lived in

e turned and saw her smiling face hanging over the stair-rail above him. He remounted the stairs, an

the mother of the Sahib's child," and she fell on her knees, kissing his hands in a passion of joy. Hamilton stood for the mom

happiness had been so perfect, so absolute, what would change, any ch

t his silence, look

y lord pleased?" Her accent

wn and raised he

e kissed her many times on the lips, and on the soft upper arm tha

ilton sat beside her on the bed, and she told him many things that an Engl

imagery, the vivid language in which she clothed her pure joyo

bed, the throb of jealousy he had first felt at her words had passed away. Saidie had made it so clear to him that her joy was not so great at being the mother of a child as that she was to be the mother o

ressed his sensitive mind, and the idea of the risk to her life that came suddenly into his brain made him turn white to the lips as he rode in the hot sunlight. Such intense happiness as he had known for the last three months can turn a brave man into a coward. For a moment he faced the horrid thought that had come to him-Saidie

en it's a snuff out for me too. I have never c

at she could come to no harm, that it would all be pure delight, that pain and suffering could not exist for her in such

rfectly happy. How impossible it is to keep anything as it is in this world! All our actions drag in upon us their consequence

n than that created by Saidie's words. The English mail was in, and a long thin envelope, impressed

it up and

by next month's boat to stay with you for a time. I have been very much run down in health lately, and my doctor says a

fectionat

inced that in some way his wife had learned of his new-found happiness, and that had given birth to her sudden desire to visit India after twenty

receive you now. D

d have the least effect on her; but he wished to have a good ground to stand on when she arriv

se no one could expect such pleasure as I have had these last three months to continue; but, whatever happens, Saidie

I can never part from my happiness." He smiled a little at

e the depression in his usually gay, bright manner. W

ight of my lord's counte

ket his wife's letter, and

aidie? If so, you wil

g hard to improve herself in the language, of which she knew already something, and with Orienta

uickly, with a swift upward glance at him,

laughed

u, Saidie. No one is my wife n

hted up Saidie's great lustrous eyes. She ben

wife to come to you?" s

ll the same. English wives think

y, and Saidie looked b

s these waters such a rich and glorious blue! How they roll so gently, full of majestic beauty, crested with sunlight, under the ships they carry so lightly! How the gold light leaps over them,

it. In her lap lay a thin foreign letter and a telegram, together with a copy of "Anna Lombard" that she was reading with the stron

allowance regularly, but I should think your husband is pretty well ruining himself. I never saw a man so changed. He used to be so melancholy, but now he is as bright as possible, and looks so well and handsome. I hear the woman is expecting a child, and they are both as pleased

p again, and she seemed to ponder deepl

fer visit," and a disagreeable laugh

alignant, as such people usually are. She loved making other people uncomfortable in a general way, and taking away from them anything she could that they valued. She also felt a peculiar curiosity such as those who cannot feel passion themselves have usually about the intense happine

passengers to land, and after careful enquiries and well-bestowed tips she was expeditiously conveyed by ticker-gharry[2] and sedan chair across the desert to the bungalow at Deira. She was considerably please

om the suffocating heat and glare of the desert into the cool shaded

arrival of the Mem-Sahib, Saidie descended from the upper room, where she had been lying in the noonda

l traditions as far as possible in the clothing of his new mistress, and weighty anklets of solid gold gleamed beneath the border of her skirt. Round the perfect column of her neck, full and stately as the red deer's, were twisted great strings of pearls, th

of the low divans awaiting her. As Saidie entered, the glory of her youth and beauty struck upon the seated

die, indicating a fauteuil near t

closing spasmodically in their grey silk gloves, and

m?" she said at last

those liquid, lingering smil

Mem Sahib Hamilton, th

e darling, the reigning queen-confronted with the poor cast-off, old, unattractive first wife; and being of a nature equally noble as the type

differs, however, from Saidie's, and Mrs. Hamilton's face grew purple as she heard

sband?" she dem

ishwomen, with their short skirts and big boots, and red, hot faces, with great black straw

back?" pursued th

ced towards

perhaps more. He

by yourself?" questioned her visitor,

imply, with a sort of proud pleasure that

he ejaculated, with a

d dress you up like that?" she added,

rything I have," she

re keenly to his lawful wife than that he was wasting his love on t

man's money belongs to his wife, and I am his wife? You! What are you? He belongs to me,

faced the angr

calmly, "nor take him from one he does. You must know little, or you would k

the hanging chick, passed through it, and was g

office, surrounded with papers, started suddenly as he

I'll go i

ed and his wife stood before him.

me? You saw the boat came in, doubtless. Yo

oom, and Hamilton remained seated

pleased, do you?" he said calmly, gazing at

't suppose you do want your wife back very badly; but I've come to s

ace was very white, his eyes had become black as they looked

e hotel here, and it's known I'm your wife, and you are

life," answered Hamilton calmly. "Be good enough to make

too, now with impotent rage, "to desert you

et; his face was blazing; he seiz

ury that she cowered beneath it. "One word m

gong. Instantly two stalwart, bronze giants, his

er out," he said to them. "Never

nd then impassively approached the Englishwoman. She

expostulated. "Your own wife!" and

ined to scream and struggle. Then her face changed. A look of intense malevolence came over i

is," she said. Then the door

many years by her hateful influence, but which, in spite of it, at Saidie's touch, had now bloomed into a garden of flowers. The thought of Saidie strengthened him. It was true that his wife would probably succeed in breaking up his life here from the conventional and social point of view, and he would be obliged most likely to give up his appointment; but he had a small independent income, and on that he and Saidie could still live together. They would go to Ceylon or to Malabar. Perhaps also he could make money ot

lay untouched, scattered on the floor. The chuprassi brought in from time to time a not

ng there threw a light shade into the sunny street just below her window; the sky overhead stretched its eternal Eastern blue, and the pigeons wheeled joyfully in and out the eaves in the clear sparkling air, or descended to the pools in the garden to bathe, with incessant cooing. Up and down the road passed the white bullocks with their laden carts, and th

e narrow, selfish, petty emotions of twenty years were written all over her face in deep, hideou

her half his pay year by year were naturally not mentioned; her own refusal to live with him, her incessant demands for more money, her extravagance, her long, whining letters to him, her debts, her own life in town were, of course, also suppressed. In the letter she figured as the ardent, tender, anxious wife, arriving to find her abandoned husband wasting his substance on a black mis

ing the note to the servant, "and let me have some tea; also

t after her virtuous labours, and in the co

eavy Burmese silver lamps falling on her lovely glowing face, and round bangle-laden arms, S

she? Did she frighten y

k to his harem. I was very sorry for her. It is quite natural she should be jealous, of course," and Saidie rested one soft, silken skinned elb

o far above other men," she murmured, gazin

dsome face, with its straight, noble features and warm colour, and as he smil

cking. To love a man for himself, for his face, for his body is degrading. They are so pure, they love him only for his purse. They tell him to take his passion to dancing-

astly, with eyes ever grow

ing to mould herself into this new belief; "it is so hard to comprehend.... Surely it must be right to love o

raight from the hands of God." He leaned his burning hands heavily on the delicately-moulded shoulders, looking down into her upturned face. How exquisite it wa

ak of her! never let us think of her! She is nothing to me. You are my world, my all. If she drives us away from here, there are other parts of the w

o this one, and almost lifted Saidie from the chair. She laughed the sweet low laughter of the Oriental woman, and

his office for the day. At four he left, and, mounting

he afternoon. His heart seethed with rage within him, but except for an unusual pallor in t

strict guidance and training developed a stern admiration for conventional virtue, particularly in regard to conjuga

term a painful-yes, a very painful communication, and er-I may say at once it

ed, crossed his knees, uncrossed them again, then turned on him suddenly. The Indian c

devil do you mean by keeping a black woman in yo

his hand he crushed Mrs. Ham

ffice: it's disgraceful! Upon my word it is; it's scandalous!

and on her arrival I told her she could not stay with me," returned H

to stay with you if she chooses; naturally she would

eplied Hamilton calmly, in a low tone, with so much w

asked abruptly. "Do the thing decently-not have her o

live with me. For twenty years I have remitted half my income to her every year. During that time I have many times asked her to join me here, sought a reconciliation always to be refused. Recently I found another interest; the m

in the absence of Mrs. Commissioner, he felt all his sympathies go with him. But his wife's ca

e can't be a scandal like this going on. You, a married man, living with a native woman, and your wife out here at the hotel! Someth

hrugged hi

this native woman," sn

ings than most impassive English faces, and there was that in the smile that he

mmissioner spoke again bu

blic opinion, to social usage. Ah! what a Moloch that is that we've created, it de

crimson roses in the pattern of his Wilton carpet. What visions swept before him of gleaming eyes and sweeping brows, ruthlessly blotted out by a large, r

cessary," returned Hamilton; "I hav

er started, an

one, leaning a little forward. Mrs. Commissioner

rom his pocket a photograph, taken by himse

drapery, taken by an artist and a lover in the clear, actinic Indian light, made an exquisite work

me Hamilton bro

her beauty that charms me, it is her devotion, her love.... Do you know, white or black, superior or inferior,

led; the smooth card still lay in his hand, the

as he handed it back to Hamilton. "These wives, damn 'em, se

and the official r?le he himself had started to play. He seemed absorbed in

isting a piece of straw, that would be bent into quite another shape when Mrs. Commissioner took it in hand, did not for the moment occur to him. That night Saidie danced for him in the moonlight, and afterwards ran from him swiftly, playing at hide-and-seek amongst the roses laughing, inviting his pursuit. In and out behind the great clumps of boughain-villia gleamed the lovely form, with hair unb

ooking up to the palm branches over

lilies slee

they slept out