Part 36 (1/2)
If he could not see her face, and study there the effect of that thrust of his, at least he observed the quiver that ran through her er that throbbed in her reply--”And if that were so, what is't to thee?”
”It htfully
”Indeed, it should be much,” she answered quickly, breathlessly ”Have I not ever been thy friend? Have I not ever urged thy valour on ht like a true friend for thine advanceht ”Hast thou so?” quoth he
”Laugh as thou wilt, but it is true,” she insisted ”Lose me and thy most valuable ally is lost--one who has the ear and favour of her lord
For look, Sakr-el-Bahr, it is ould befall if another caht poison Asad's ainst thee--for surely she cannot love thee, this Frankish girl whom thou hast torn from her hohtly, his wits striving in vain to plumb the depths and discover the nature of her purpose ”This slave of mine shall never usurp thy place beside Asad”
”O fool, Asad will take her whether she be for sale or not”
He looked down upon her, head on one side and arms akimbo ”If he can take her from me, the more easily can he take her from thee No doubt thou hast considered that, and in soainst it But the cost--hast thou counted that? What will Asad say to thee when he learns how thou hast thwarted him?”
”What do I care for that?” she cried in sudden fury, her gestures beco a little wild ”She will be at the bottom of the harbour by then with a stone about her neck He may have me whipped No doubt he will But 'twill end there He will require ain”
At last he had drawn her, puht, he had been right to say she was not subtle He had been a fool to have perued by so shallow, so obvious a purpose He shrugged and turned away from her
”Depart in peace, O Fenzileh,” he said ”I yield her to none--be his name Asad or Shaitan”
His tone was final, and her answer seemed to accept at last his determination Yet she was very quick with that answer; so quick that he ht have suspected it to be preconceived
”Then it is surely thine intent to wed her” No voice could have been uileless than was hers now ”If so,” she went on, ”it were best done quickly, for e is the only barrier Asad will not overthrow He is devout, and out of his deep reverence for the Prophet's laould be sure to respect such a bond as that But be very sure that he will respect nothing short of it”
Yet notwithstanding her innocence and assumed simplicity--because of it, perhaps--he read her as if she had been an open book; it no longer mattered that her face was veiled
”And thy purpose would be equally well served, eh?” he questioned her, sly in his turn
”Equally,” she admitted
”Say 'better,' Fenzileh,” he rejoined ”I said thou art not subtle By the Koran, I lied Thou art subtle as the serpent Yet I see whither thou art gliding Were I to be guided by thine advice a twofold purpose would be served First, I should place her beyond Asad's reach, and second, I should be e done so What could ,” she protested ”I have ever been thy friend I would that” She broke off suddenly to listen The stillness of the night was broken by cries from the direction of the Bab-el-Oueb She ran swiftly to the parapet whence the gate was to be seen and leaned far out
”Look, look!” she cried, and there was a tremor of fear in her voice
”It is he--Asad-ed-Din”
Sakr-el-Bahr crossed to her side and in a glare of torches saw a body of ate
”It al from thy usual custom, thou hast spoken truth, O Fenzileh”
She faced hih her veil Yet her voice when she spoke was cold ”In a le doubt of it But what oftone ”He must not find me here He would kill reed ”Yet nize thee? Away, then, ere he comes Take cover in the courtyard until he shall have passed Didst thou coe that I had visited thee?” she asked, and he ad Sicilian spirit in her that not all these years in the Basha's hareeuish