came and looked on her face, then
shrouded her reverently, his keen eyes filled wi th anguish.
Hardly had Ad ham 's life returned to normal than a sudden
change came over U mayma, for which he could see no reason.
It started with her givi ng up her visits to the garden, which did
not please him as he had sometimes thought i t would. He
asked her why she had stopped coming and she made various
excuses such as work or tiredness. He noticed that she did not
welcome him with the old ardor, and that when he made
advances to her , she accepted them without real passion, as
26
Adham
though she were humori ng him reluctantly. He wondered
what could be the matter. He had already been through
something like this himself, but his love had sustained him and
conquered it. He cou ld have been harsh with her, and wanted
to very much at ti mes, but her fragi lity and paleness and her
politeness held him back. Sometimes she seemed u nhappy
and sometimes confused. One ti me he caught a look of
repulsion on her face, and he was both angry and sad, and said
to himself: ' I' ll be patient a while; either she'll i mprove, or to
hell wi th her! '
He went to his father's study one day to present the month's
accoun ts. Gebelaawi glanced through them casually, then
asked:
- What's wrong?
Adham looked up at him in astonishment.
- Nothing, Father.
Gebelaawi's eyes narrowed and he said quietly:
- Tell me about Umayma.
Adham lowered his eyes from his father's piercing glance.
- She's all right. Everything's fine.
Gebelaawi said impatien tly:
- Tell me what's wrong.
For a time Adham was si lent, believi ng his father omni-
scient. Then he confessed:
- She's changed very much and seems cold.
A strange loo k came into his father's eyes:
- Have you quarrel led?
- Never!
Gebelaawi smiled con tentedly:
- Be gentle wi th her, you ignorant fellow, and don't make
advances to her ti ll she asks you to. Soon you will be a father.
6 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ad ham sal in the Trust office receiving the new tenants, one
27
Children of Gebelaawi
by one. They were queuing up, the first i n front of him, the last
at the back of the garden house. When the last tenant came,
Adham asked brusquely without lifting his head from the
ledger:
- Your name?
A voice rep lied:
- ldrees Gebelaawi.
Adham looked up fearfully and saw his brother standing
before him. He leapt up to defend h imself, watching him
warily. But Idrees 's appearance was new and unfamiliar. He
was poorly dressed and seemed peaceable and u nassuming,
sad and sincere, changed like a starched garment steeped i n
water. The sight of him drove out of Adham's heart any
remaining anger, though he did not feel completely at ease.
With a mixture of mistrust and hope he exclaimed:
- ldrees!
I drees nodded and sai d with amazing gentleness:
- Don't be afraid. I'm simply your guest i n this house, if
your generosi ty can stretch to that.
Could these friendly words really come from ldrees? Had
suffering tamed him? 1-Iis meekness was just as disconcerting
as his former ruden ess. Wou ld treating him as a guest not still
be defying his father? But he had come uninvited. Adham
found himself motioning ldrees to take a seat beside him.
They sat looki ng at each other strangely, till ldrees said:
- I slipped in with that crowd of tenants so as to be able to
speak to you alone.
- Did anybody see you?
- Nobody from the house saw me, you can be sure of that.
I haven't come to spoil your happiness, but to throw myself on
your mercy.
Adham looked away, deeply moved. The blood rushed to
his face. ldrees went on:
- Perhaps you 're amazed at the change in me. Maybe
28
Adham
you're wondering: 'Where have his pride and boastfulness
gone?'. I want you to know that I 've suffered more than a man
can bear, but in spite of all that I haven't behaved like this with
anybody but you. A man like me can only forget his pride i n the
presence of
shrouded her reverently, his keen eyes filled wi th anguish.
Hardly had Ad ham 's life returned to normal than a sudden
change came over U mayma, for which he could see no reason.
It started with her givi ng up her visits to the garden, which did
not please him as he had sometimes thought i t would. He
asked her why she had stopped coming and she made various
excuses such as work or tiredness. He noticed that she did not
welcome him with the old ardor, and that when he made
advances to her , she accepted them without real passion, as
26
Adham
though she were humori ng him reluctantly. He wondered
what could be the matter. He had already been through
something like this himself, but his love had sustained him and
conquered it. He cou ld have been harsh with her, and wanted
to very much at ti mes, but her fragi lity and paleness and her
politeness held him back. Sometimes she seemed u nhappy
and sometimes confused. One ti me he caught a look of
repulsion on her face, and he was both angry and sad, and said
to himself: ' I' ll be patient a while; either she'll i mprove, or to
hell wi th her! '
He went to his father's study one day to present the month's
accoun ts. Gebelaawi glanced through them casually, then
asked:
- What's wrong?
Adham looked up at him in astonishment.
- Nothing, Father.
Gebelaawi's eyes narrowed and he said quietly:
- Tell me about Umayma.
Adham lowered his eyes from his father's piercing glance.
- She's all right. Everything's fine.
Gebelaawi said impatien tly:
- Tell me what's wrong.
For a time Adham was si lent, believi ng his father omni-
scient. Then he confessed:
- She's changed very much and seems cold.
A strange loo k came into his father's eyes:
- Have you quarrel led?
- Never!
Gebelaawi smiled con tentedly:
- Be gentle wi th her, you ignorant fellow, and don't make
advances to her ti ll she asks you to. Soon you will be a father.
6 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ad ham sal in the Trust office receiving the new tenants, one
27
Children of Gebelaawi
by one. They were queuing up, the first i n front of him, the last
at the back of the garden house. When the last tenant came,
Adham asked brusquely without lifting his head from the
ledger:
- Your name?
A voice rep lied:
- ldrees Gebelaawi.
Adham looked up fearfully and saw his brother standing
before him. He leapt up to defend h imself, watching him
warily. But Idrees 's appearance was new and unfamiliar. He
was poorly dressed and seemed peaceable and u nassuming,
sad and sincere, changed like a starched garment steeped i n
water. The sight of him drove out of Adham's heart any
remaining anger, though he did not feel completely at ease.
With a mixture of mistrust and hope he exclaimed:
- ldrees!
I drees nodded and sai d with amazing gentleness:
- Don't be afraid. I'm simply your guest i n this house, if
your generosi ty can stretch to that.
Could these friendly words really come from ldrees? Had
suffering tamed him? 1-Iis meekness was just as disconcerting
as his former ruden ess. Wou ld treating him as a guest not still
be defying his father? But he had come uninvited. Adham
found himself motioning ldrees to take a seat beside him.
They sat looki ng at each other strangely, till ldrees said:
- I slipped in with that crowd of tenants so as to be able to
speak to you alone.
- Did anybody see you?
- Nobody from the house saw me, you can be sure of that.
I haven't come to spoil your happiness, but to throw myself on
your mercy.
Adham looked away, deeply moved. The blood rushed to
his face. ldrees went on:
- Perhaps you 're amazed at the change in me. Maybe
28
Adham
you're wondering: 'Where have his pride and boastfulness
gone?'. I want you to know that I 've suffered more than a man
can bear, but in spite of all that I haven't behaved like this with
anybody but you. A man like me can only forget his pride i n the
presence of
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