Part 26 (1/2)
”Her face has been bared to a thousand eyes and more,” he cried
”Even that has been so before,” replied Tsamanni
And then quite suddenly at their elbow a voice that was naturally soft and musical of accent but now rendered harsh, cut in to ask:
”What woman may this be?”
Startled, both the Basha and his wazeer swung round Fenzileh, becoly veiled and hooded, stood before them, escorted by Marzak A little behind them were the eunuchs and the litter in which, unperceived by Asad, she had been borne thither Beside the litter stood her wazeer Ayoub-el-Samin
Asad scowled down upon her, for he had not yet recovered from the resentment she and Marzak had provoked in hi in the respect which was his due was evil enough, though he had tolerated it But that she should make so bold as to thrust in and question him in this perenity could suffer Never yet had she dared so much nor would she have dared it now but that her sudden anxiety had effaced all caution from her mind She had seen the look hich Asad had been considering that lovely slave, and not only jealousy but positive fear awoke in her Her hold upon Asad was growing tenuous To snap it utterly no more was necessary than that he who of late years had scarce bestowed a thought or glance upon a wo some new recruit to his hareee to stand thus before hiance in every line of her figure Of his scowl she took no slightest heed
”If this be the slave fetched by Sakr-el-Bahr froland, then rumour has lied to e and the endangering so -shanked daughter of perdition into Barbary”
Asad's surprise beat down his anger He was not subtle
”Yellow-faced? Long-shanked?” quoth he Then reading Fenzileh at last, he displayed a slow, crooked s, and now thy sight is failing too, it see old” And he looked her over with such an eye of displeasure that she recoiled
He stepped close up to her ”Too long already hast thou queened it in my hareem with thine infidel, Frankish ways,” he muttered, so that none but those iry words ”Thou art become a very scandal in the eyes of the Faithful,” he added very grimly ”It ell, perhaps, that we aesture he ordered Ali to return the slave to her place a on the arm of Tsamanni he took soain to Fenzileh:
”To thy litter,” he bade her pereet thee to the house as becoain let thyself be seen roving the public places afoot”
She obeyed hiered at the gates with Tsamanni until her litter had passed out, escorted by Ayoub and Marzak walking each on one side of it and neither daring to ry eye of the Basha
Asad looked sourly after that litter, a sneer on his heavy lips
”As her beauty wanes so her presu old, Tsamanni--old and lean and shrewish, and no fit mate for a Me in the sight of Allah that we replaced her” And then, referring obviously to that other one, his eye turning towards the penthouse the curtains of which were drawn again, he changed his tone
”Didst thou race she azelle Verily, so much beauty was never created by the All-Wise to be cast into the Pit”
”May it not have been sent to comfort some True-Believer?” wondered the subtle wazeer ”To Allah all things are possible”
”Why else, indeed?” said Asad ”It ritten; and even as none may obtain what is not written, so none may avoid what is I am resolved
Stay thou here, Tsamanni Reht the True Faith She shall be saved fro that Tsamanni had so ardently desired
He licked his lips ”And the price, my lord?” he asked, in a small voice
”Price?” quoth Asad ”Have I not bid thee purchase her? Bring her to h her price be a thousand philips”
”A thousand philips!” echoed Tsareat!”
But already Asad had left his side and passed out under the arched gateay, where the grovelling anew at the sight of hi for Asad to bid him remain for the sale But the dalal would part with no slave until the , and Tsamanni had no considerable sum upon his person Therefore in the wake of his master he set out forthwith to the Kasbah It wanted still an hour before the sale would be held and he had tio and return