Part 35 (1/2)
”Did you indeed suppose I trusted you? Did you really think ? When will you learn that I am not a fool? I did it but to test your spirit”
”Then now you know its temper,” she replied ”You know my intention”
”Forewarned, forear that would have been mockery but for the conte,”
she asked, ”to snap the thread of life? Are there no ways of dying save by the knife? You boast yourself htto you body and soul How idle is that boast My body you may bind and confine; but my soul Be very sure that you shall be cheated of your bargain You boast yourself lord of life and death A lie! Death is all that you can co up the stairs, and before he could answer her, before he had thought of words in which to do so, Ali confronted hi announceently to speak with hi ”A Nasrani woman, do you mean?”
”No,information
”A Muslim woure glided like a shadow across the threshold on to the terrace She was in black fro the veil that shrouded her, a veil of the proportions of aupon her in a rage ”Did I not bid thee wait below, thou daughter of shame?” he stormed ”She has followed me up, my lord, to thrust herself in here upon you Shall I drive her forth?”
”Let her be,” said Sakr-el-Bahr And he waved Ali away ”Leave us!”
Soure arrested his attention and fired his suspicions Unaccountably alht of Ayoub-el-Sarnin and the bidding there had been for Rosa for his visitor to speak and disclose herself She on her side continued immovable until Ali's footsteps had faded in the distance Then, with a boldness entirely characteristic, with the recklessness that betrayed her European origin, intolerant of the Muslim restraint i wo black veil and disclosed the pale countenance and languorous eyes of Fenzileh
For all that it was noher--her countenance thus bared to his regard--he recoiled a step
”Fenzileh!” he cried ”Whatannounced herself in that dramatic fashi+on she composedly readjusted her veil so that her countenance should once more be decently concealed
”To come here, to my house, and thus!” he protested ”Should this reach the ears of thy lord, hoill it fare with thee and with me? Aoman, and at once!” he bade her
”No need to fear his knowing of this unless, thyself, thou tell him,”
she answered ”To thee I need no excuse if thou'lt but remember that like thyself I was not born a Musliiers is not thy native Sicily, and whatever thou wast born it ell to reth to tell her of the precise degree of her folly, but she cut in, ste his protestation in full flow
”These are idle words that but delay me”
”To thy purpose then, in Allah's name, that thus thou h on that unco summons She pointed to Rosamund ”It concerns that slave,” said she ”I sent my wazeer to the sok to-day with orders to purchase her for me”
”So I had supposed,” he said
”But it seeht thy fancy, and the fool suffered himself to be outbidden”
”Well?”
”Thou'lt relinquish her to me at the price she cost thee?” A faint note of anxiety treuished to deny thee, O Fenzileh She is not for sale”
”Ah, wait,” she cried ”The price paid was high--iven for a slave, however lovely Yet I covet her 'Tis a whim of ratify this one I will pay three thousand philips”