There lay the cushions on which her lovely form reposed at night.
Just so was the woollen cover with its white and brown stripes, and
like these were the little red shoes that stood beside her couch
there. Only those were of leather and these were of red velvet, and
sparkled with precious stones. When raised, it was found that the
other side of this woollen cover, like that in the other apartment,
was also of splendid material, richly worked and adorned with gems.
There was nothing else here but a small chest that stood in a remote
corner, as in Butheita's tent. In that she kept the little
ornaments, purchased for her in Tantah by her father, articles of
jewelry found in the sand of the desert, and which had perhaps been
worn by a daughter of the Pharaohs, and gems that had been taken
from the grave of some mummy, where they had lain for thousands of
years. Outwardly the chest that stood in the corner looked like the
other, but it contained treasures of a different nature; a costly
necklace of pearls, buckles of enormous value, and a diadem, so
lustrous that it seemed as though Mohammed had stolen stars from
heaven with which to adorn his love.
As he stands there absorbed in the contemplation of these articles,
a feeling of unutterable bliss comes over him, of happiness unknown
to him for many long years.
Yes, unknown to him for long years, for very many have elapsed since
Masa died.
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