Page 151 - Life of Gertrude Bell

I

HAIL 137
appeared ... two women. One was an old widow, Lu-lu-ah,
who is caretaker here, as you might say. The other was a
Circassian, who was sent to Muhammad al Rashid by the Sultan
as a gift. Her name is Turkiyyeh. Under her dark purple cloak -
all the women are closely veiled here-she was dressed in
brilliant red and purple cotton robes and she wore ropes of
bright pearls round her neck. And she is worth her weight in
gold as I have come to know. She is a chatterbox of the first
order and I passed an exceedingly amusing hour in her com­
pany... After lunch Ibrahim paid me a state visit, slaves
walking before him and slaves behind. He is an intelligent and
(for an Arab) well educated man. He was clothed in Indian
silks and carried a gold mounted sword ... As he went he
whispered to old Muhammad al Murawi that as the Amir was
away and as there was some talk in the town about my coming,
a stranger and so on, he was bound to be careful and so on —
in short, I was not to leave the house without permission ...

After her reception in the great Roshan or Khawa she remained in
honourable captivity for several days, confined to her room in the
guest house, though visited from time to time by Fatima, the
young Amir’s devious grandmother, and other notables. Eventu­
ally Ibrahim invited her to visit him at the fortress of the amirs
and so she found herself back in the Roshan. She was conducted
by slaves and found Ibrahim and a large company sitting on
carpets. They all stood as she arrived. She sat on the right of the
Amir’s uncle while slaves poured tea and coffee. Finally censers
were brought in and swung three times before each guest, a signal
that the reception had ended. Gertrude had already sent gifts of
silk to all the chief inhabitants of the royal household, and
revolvers and Zeiss glasses to the Amir and Ibrahim and their
slaves. She tipped the doorkeepers generously as she went. Life
was expensive in Flail and she was running short of money. In
Damascus she had paid Ibn Rashid’s agent £200 so that she
could draw the money by letter of credit in Hail. When she asked
for the money it was decided that the requisite document was
made out to the credit of the Amir’s treasurer who was out riding
with him and could not be paid until he returned. What she did
not know at that time was that the young and irresponsible head
of this homicidal family, who had been in the custody of the
Sharif of Mecca until his recent return to occupy the throne, was