"Are you quite sure that you would not lose by the change?"
"Thank you," said Kondjé-Gul; "that's what I call a compliment."
"The fact is," I replied, "the very thing I like about you is that you
do not in any way resemble the women whom we have just met."
"Oh!" she said, with an indescribable gesture of pride, "it's not
those women I envy! But I see others whom I would like to resemble--in
their manners and tone, of course. If you're a nice fellow, do you know
what you will do for me?"
"What?"
"It's a dream, a scheme which I have been continually thinking over. You
won't laugh at me, will you?"
"No. Let's hear your grand scheme."
"Well, then, if you would like to make me very happy, place me for a few
months in one of those convents where your young ladies are educated.
You would come and see me every day, so that I should not be too dull
away from you."
"That's the queerest idea I have ever heard from you; fancy a Mahommedan
girl at a convent!" I said, with a laugh.
I took a great deal of trouble in explaining to her what a foolish
project this was; but the result of my attempts at demonstrating the
serious obstacles which such ambitious aspirations would encounter, was
that in the end I myself entered into her views. The experiment might
indeed prove a most instructive one. With Kondjé-Gul's character, there
was an extremely interesting psychological experiment before me. I had
found her to be endowed with marvellous natural qualities. With her
ardour and enthusiasm, what would be the effect upon her simple
imagination of a sudden transition from the ideas of the harem to the
subtle refinements of our own society?
Certainly, I was obliged to admit that such a trial was not without its
dangers; but then, was not Kondjé-Gul already aware that the marital
yoke which my houris still believed in was only imaginary? And was it
not better, such being the case, for me to complete this work of
regeneration, the fruits of which I should in the end reap for myself?
So I submitted to Kondjé-Gul's wishes, and as soon as we returned to
Paris this important matter was settled.
The next day I began to look for the means of carrying it into
execution, a search which was attended, however, with a good many
difficulties.