*

A young boy, bending over his books, devouring their lines, hardly lifting his strained eyes except to catch sight of his mother stooped over the sewing machine — and he would give her a look of tenderness. Then he would bend over his books again: the least he could do was reward his mother with his success. She had toiled for his sake sixteen unbroken years, ever since his father died without leaving him anything but the mercy of God — this mother who had spent of her youth and her health to secure for him what would meet the demands of life.

The boy finished his studies and came back to her one day waving his diploma, tears of joy scattering from his eyes as he cried: "Mother, put this cursed machine aside... no more work after today... for I am your man."

After that, life went along with him smoothly and without excess. He obtained a post in one of the banks, and there he came to know Najib, and was bound to him by a bond of friendship and affection; each of them was closer to the other than his own shadow. Raouf saw in him an elder brother who gave him sincere counsel and took charge of his guidance. Would that he had never known him! Then his road would have run straight, and he could well have done without crooked counsel and mined guidance — and without that whispering which Najib so long poured into Raouf's ear, and against which Raouf so long stopped his ears. "No" was his one weapon in the face of temptation... What? Take part in an embezzlement? No, and a thousand times no. He rejected it

with all his force; he could not picture himself attempting it — he trembled at the mere thought of the thing...

But the temptation went on, strong and insistent. It lasted days and months, and the "No" began to lose that firm, decisive ring... Softness crept into Raouf's firmness, and integrity began to die in his soul little by little...

And at last the forbidden thing came to pass... But you lay your plans — and the fates laugh.

He was caught — or rather they were caught, for they were a group — as they were making ready to flee. It was a shameful scandal; many were the tears the mother shed in grief and anguish; and the young man's share (of the spoils...) was nine years to be

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