"It's very odd," he said to me in English; and then, addressing _She_,
"I cannot understand," he said; "the young lady and I--well--in short,
we had a regard for each other."
Ayesha laughed a little very musically, and then turned the subject.
XIX
"GIVE ME A BLACK GOAT!"
The conversation after this was of such a desultory order that I do not
quite recollect it. For some reason, perhaps from a desire to keep her
identity and character in reserve, Ayesha did not talk freely, as she
usually did. Presently, however, she informed Leo that she had arranged
a dance that night for our amusement. I was astonished to hear this, as
I fancied that the Amahagger were much too gloomy a folk to indulge
in any such frivolity; but, as will presently more clearly appear,
it turned out that an Amahagger dance has little in common with such
fantastic festivities in other countries, savage or civilised. Then, as
we were about to withdraw, she suggested that Leo might like to see
some of the wonders of the caves, and as he gladly assented thither we
departed, accompanied by Job and Billali.
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