The Garden of Allah

The Garden of Allah is a 1904 romantic drama novel by the British writer Robert Hichens. The novel was published by Methuen and Company on 13 October 1904 in London, and on 28 January 1905 by Frederick A. Stokes in New York. It is largely set in French Algeria, with a brief opening in Marseille, and a conclusion in French Tunis. Plot summary Domini Enfilden is a wealthy Englishwoman who travels to French Algeria, accompanied only by her maid. A devout Catholic, Domini is seeking peace after many years enduring the apostasy of her late father, Lord Rens. Converted to Catholicism by Lady Rens, he renounced the faith when she deserted him. On a train travelling south to the oasis town of Beni-Mora, she encounters a rude fellow, who is taciturn and self-absorbed. At the southern terminus of Beni-Mora, she hires an Arab guide, Batouch, who is handsome and something of a poet. She sees the odd European from the train deliberately avoid the Catholic priest of the local church. Batouch informs her that the fellow is also English, and furthermore speaks both French and a little Arabic. Domini, on her own, visits the little church in Beni-Mora, where she meets Father Roubier, the priest. Later, Batouch takes her to visit the garden of Count Anteoni; they pass a grand hotel, closed for the season, with a tower on top. Smaïn, the garden's gatekeeper, allows her into the walled villa and garden, where she delights in the peaceful atmosphere. She encounters Count Anteoni, who explains he also owns the grand hotel. The Count and Domini discuss the attraction of the desert, which he tells her some Arabs call "the Garden of Allah". He gives permission for her to visit the tower of the grand hotel, which she does the next day. While admiring the grand vista of the desert from the tower, she stumbles into the odd traveller. He speaks with her for the first time, using French. When she speaks of the promise of inner peace in the desert, he expresses surprise; he sees only turmoil. That evening Batouch takes Domini to the Cafe Tahar, where the Ouled Naïl dancers are to be found. Batouch's cousin Hadj latches onto them, seeking to divert them to the cafe of the story-tellers, as he fears the dancer Irena. Batouch bribes Tahar to fetch Irena from another cafe. Meanwhile Domini notices the strange traveller is also at the cafe, watching the dancers. When Irena comes to dance she recognizes Hadj and tries to stab him. The cafe erupts into a panic; the stranger saves Domini.