Satisfied at this termination of the incident, which had caused me no
small anxiety, I was returning to the château, when lo and behold! as I
was passing the bushes, who should appear but Kondjé-Gul, who ran up and
threw herself into my arms.
"How's this?" I said to her; "you here!"
"Yes, dear; I wanted to see you and kiss you," she exclaimed, bounding
with joy like a child; "and to hear you tell me that you love me still!"
"You mad creature, suppose anyone were to see you!"
"All right!" she replied; "I jumped down from my window, for they think
I am a prisoner there. I slipped under the verandah, so as not to be
noticed by Mohammed, and came here to wait for you. Now, don't scold me.
Now that I have seen you I am going back, for fear I should rouse the
suspicion of your wives. Tell me if I'm not clever!"
Then, just as she was running away again, she added in a little tone of
importance, "And mind you're careful too!"
Eight days have passed since the dramatic events, of which I have
related to you the singular termination. Here I am involved in a regular
conspiracy of deceit; I have a secret intrigue with one of my wives.
Kondjé-Gul plays her part of estrangement in a most curious fashion,
with an affectation of melancholy, combined with haughtiness, and the
silly creature is delighted with her efforts. After two or three days of
seclusion, she reappeared, talked cynically of her approaching
departure, and rejoiced over it. We treat each other like spouses
definitely divorced from each other, who are nevertheless paying each
other, as well-bred people should do, a final tribute of strict
politeness after the irreparable breach. Hadidjé, Nazli, and Zouhra,
confident in a dominion which appears to them henceforth assured, admire
my great qualities as a dispenser of justice.
My dear Louis, do you wish me to confess to you the most remarkable
consequence of this business? Yes, of course you do. I promised that
this psychological study should be conducted with sincerity, and that
nothing should be shirked. Well then, in the course of my analytical
observations, this mystery with Kondjé-Gul, these tastings of forbidden
fruit, form certainly the most exquisite experience I have met with. You
may tell me, if you like, that I am a pandour, and that my taste has
been perverted by a life of unbridled Epicureanism; you may tell me that
the charms of duplicity, of falsehood, and of this connivance in the
guise of a childish deception, are exercising a morbid fascination over
my demoralized heart. You may be right. I would only ask you to express
yourself somewhat less bluntly. At any rate, you will not, I presume,
expect me to account for the frailties of our mortal nature. I guess
what you are thinking--out with it!