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104<br />
A VIZIER’S DAUGHTER – A TALE OF THE HAZARA WAR<br />
replied anxiously. She did not remember in all her life having overslept<br />
herself to such an extent.<br />
“There is nothing more or less for them to think,” Gul Begum said,<br />
laughing. “Aunt, lend me your comb, you are the only one that has such<br />
a thing; m y hair is just like a camel’s beard.”<br />
She moved towards the window and looked out. “Every one must have<br />
gone out to work,” she said, “there isn’t a soul about the courtyard. I<br />
can’t see over to the other side of the wall. Come, mother, look.”<br />
“It was kind of them to let us go on sleeping undisturbed,” Shereen<br />
said quietly. “It looks as if we were going to be properly treated here,<br />
and not made regular slaves of.”<br />
“Oh, how I should like to go out!” Gul Begum exclaimed suddenly. “I<br />
should love to be down among those trees and flowers. Come, Shereen,<br />
as every one is out, there is no reaso n why we should not go out too.”<br />
Soon they were in the quadrangle that divided this inner shrub-planted<br />
enclosure from the beautiful orchard and garden beyond.<br />
“Did you ever see anything like these flowers?” Gul Begum remarked<br />
to her cousin. “What colours!”<br />
“They’re well enough,” Shereen said placidly, hardly noticing them,<br />
“but what I like is this. Look here, just think what grapes we shall have<br />
later on, and raisins too. I daresa y there are almond trees over the other<br />
side of the wall. Let us go through and see what there is.”<br />
So they made their way towards the door, but it was locked.<br />
“Oh, how tiresome, they’ve gone and left us locked in,” Shereen went<br />
on.<br />
“I suppose they thought we should run away,” Gul Begum said<br />
thoughtfully.<br />
“Not likely, with that old door-keeper standing as watch-dog over the<br />
entrance outside.”<br />
“Be careful,” Gul Begum said. “Some one is watching us. Ever y one<br />
has gone out. Don’t let us even look as though we were trying to run<br />
away. Come, let us go and speak to her,” and as they crossed the<br />
garden, a long-tailed Afghan magpie flew over their heads.<br />
“Khuda! What bad luck,” Shereen exclaimed anxiously. “Our coming<br />
here is to bring us no good. What can it mean, Gul Begum?”<br />
“It means that the poor bird has lost its mate, and has go ne to look for<br />
it, I should think,” her cousin said, with some appearance of
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