Then he rose, and both Helena and Gordon rose with him. One moment he stood between them without speaking, and then, stooping over Helena's hand and kissing it, he said, in a scarcely audible whisper—
"I divorce thee! I divorce thee! I divorce thee!"
It was the Mohammedan form of divorcement, and all that was necessary to set Helena free. When he raised his head his face was still smiling—a pitiful, heart-breaking smile.
Then, still holding Helena's hand, he reached out for Gordon's also, and said—
"I give her back to thee, my brother. And do not think I give what I would not keep. Perhaps—who knows?—perhaps I loved her too."
Helena was deeply affected. Gordon found it impossible to look into Ishmael's face. They felt his wearied eyes resting upon them; they felt their hands being brought together; they felt Ishmael's hand resting for a moment on their hands; and then they heard him say—
"Maa-es-salamah! Be happy! Keep together as long as you can. And never forget we shall meet some day."
Then, in a voice so low that they could scarcely hear it, he said—
"Peace be with you both! Peace!"—and passed out of the room.
They stood where he had left them in the middle of the room, with faces to the ground and their hands quivering in each other's clasp until the sound of his footsteps had died away. Then Gordon said—