a veil. "If it is not becoming to me, I can buy another in Athens when the boat stops there," she said.
Our plan was for her to stay all the winter in Paris, and return with me in the spring; or, if she got tired of Paris, to return with me at Christmas. Her slaves were devoted to her. Leila was her foster-sister, and a childless widow, and knew of no other happiness than to serve her mistress; and Mihri, who was the elder sister of Leila, knew of no other happiness than to serve the two younger women. The two sisters were to stay at home and pretend that their mistress was ailing, and since she hardly ever went out of the house, or received anyone, it would be an easy matter to hide from the world that the former wife of Nouri Pasha was away from home.
Our talks now were entirely about our journey. Yet there were times when, with her fingers clasped, and watching the ships on the far horizon, she would lose herself in reverie. Then she seemed to be suddenly inexplicably sad. Once when I was spending a week-end with her, she passed the entire afternoon gazing at the sea, her face immobile and lifeless.
After I had gone to bed that night, she came to me as was her custom, and kneeled by me to kiss me good night. Of a sudden she put her arms around me, and said quickly, as if she were afraid of her own words:
