"Hold your tongue, sir!" she said, putting her finger up to her mouth,
and pouting like a little child. "You're going to begin again! Let me
tell you my plan, which will settle all our difficulties."
"Let me hear your plan."
"Very well; you shall tell them that you have been inexorable, and that
you have treated me as an odious creature. For my part, I shall look
still more angry with you. Before them, we will scowl at each other, and
make them believe that all is quite at an end between us, and that you
have decided to send me away and have me sold."
"What a capital idea!" I said to her.
"Yes, do let us. It will be so delightful, so clandestine! And then I
shall feel that you love me better than them!"
"Because we shall deceive them, I suppose."
"Yes, yes!" she exclaimed, with a laugh; "because we shall deceive them!
Besides," she added in a tone of conviction, "you must know very well
yourself that there is no other rational course for us. In the first
place I swear I will never beg the pardon of this miserable
Hadidjé--never!"
For the present it was clearly necessary to agree to this compromise,
which at least provided for the exigencies of decorum. When I left
Kondjé-Gul I returned to the château from motives of prudence, in order
to avoid rousing the suspicions of my wives.
Nevertheless I must admit it was not without some apprehensions that I
returned the next day to the harem. But I was soon reassured when I saw
the amiable satisfaction which prevailed among my houris. The absence of
Kondjé-Gul, who remained in stoic seclusion, left no doubt in their
minds that she was in complete disgrace and would certainly be sent
away. I even gathered that the silly creature had shown Nazli some blue
marks which she had made on her own skin, and told her that I had beaten
her! Hadidjé, rather proud of her wound, continued to give herself
interesting airs as the principal heroine of this terrible tragedy. As
it was in reality merely a scratch, which hurt her very little, her only
object in complaining was to emphasize her caprices. After the stormy
days we had just gone through, this morning passed like an idyl. Their
spirits were all harmonious; and I left them firmly convinced that from
the way I performed my great act of justice they had no longer anything
to fear at the hands of a rival.