"At Mabille, while Clémentine, Hortense, Anna, Ludovic and the three
Tuareg gave themselves over to the wildest gallops, Sheik Otham took
me aside and confided to me, with visible emotion, a certain
commission with which he had just been charged by his brother, Sheik
Ahmed.
"The next day, very early, I reached Clémentine's house.
"'My dear,' I began, after having waked her, not without difficulty,
'listen to me. I want to talk to you seriously.' "She rubbed her eyes a bit crossly.
"'How did you like that young Arabian gentleman who was so taken with
you last night?' "'Why, well enough,' she said, blushing.
"'Do you know that in his country, he is the sovereign prince and
reigns over territories five or six times greater than those of our
august master, the Emperor Napoleon III?' "'He murmured something of that kind to me,' she said, becoming
interested.
"'Well, would it please you to mount on a throne, like our august
sovereign, the Empress Eugénie?' "Clémentine, looked startled.
"'His own brother, Sheik Otham, has charged me in his name to make
this offer.' "Clémentine, dumb with amazement, did not reply.
"'I, Empress!' she finally stammered.
"'The decision rests with you. They must have your answer before
midday. If it is 'yes,' we lunch together at Voisin's, and the bargain
is made.' "I saw that she had already made up her mind, but she thought it well
to display a little sentiment.
"'And you, you!' she groaned. 'To leave you thus.... Never!' "'No foolishness, dear child,' I said gently. 'You don't know perhaps
that I am ruined. Yes, completely: I don't even know how I am going to
pay for your complexion cream!' "'Ah!' she sighed.
"She added, however, 'And ... the child?' "'What child?' "'Our child ... our child.' "'Ah! That is so. Why, you will have to put it down to profit and
loss. I am even convinced that Sheik Ahmed will find that it resembles
him.' "'You can turn everything into a joke,' she said between laughing and
crying.
"The next morning, at the same hour, the Marseilles express carried
away the five Tuareg and Clémentine. The young woman, radiant, was
leaning on the arm of Sheik Ahmed, who was beside himself with joy.
"'Have you many shops in your capital?' she asked him languidly.
"And he, smiling broadly under his veil, replied: "'Besef, besef, bono, roumis, bono.' "At the last moment, Clémentine had a pang of emotion.
"'Listen, Casimir, you have always been kind to me. I am going to be a
queen. If you weary of it here, promise me, swear to me....' "The Sheik had understood. He took a ring from his finger and slipped
it onto mine.