Part 45 (1/2)

”I cannot eat,” she answered hie cannot avail me now”

”Never believe that,” he said ”I have undertaken to deliver you alive froht you, and I shall keep my word”

So resolute was his tone that she looked up at hi equally resolute and confident

”Surely,” she cried, ”all chance of escape is lost to ,” he replied She considered him a moment, and there was the faintest s now?” she asked hi as God pleases,” he replied quite coolly ”What is written is written So that I live long enough to deliver you, then why, then, faith I shall have lived long enough”

Her head sank She clasped and unclasped the hands in her lap She shi+vered slightly

”I think we are both doomed,” she said in a dull voice ”For if you die, I have your dagger still, remember I shall not survive you”

He took a sudden step forward, his eyes gleah the tan of his cheeks Then he checked Fool! How could he so haveeven for a moment? Were not its exact limits abundantly plain, even without the words which she added a ive me if I am driven to it--if I choose the easier way of honour; for honour, sir,” she added, clearly for his benefit, ”is ever the easier way, believe me”

”I know,” he replied contritely ”I would to God I had followed it”

He paused there, as if hoping that his expression of penitence ht spur her to vouchsafe hi that she continued, hed heavily, and turned to other matters

”Here you will find all that you can require,” he said ”Should you lack aught you have but to beat your hands together, one or the other of my slaves will come to you If you address them in French they will understand you I would I could have brought a woman to minister to you, but that was impossible, as you'll perceive” He stepped to the entrance

”You are leaving me?” she questioned him in sudden alarm

”Naturally But be sure that I shall be very near at hand And meanwhile be no less sure that you have no cause for immediate fear At least, matters are no worse than when you were in the pannier Indeed, much better, for some ood heart; eat and rest God guard you! I shall return soon after sunrise”

Outside on the poop-deck he found Asad alone noith Marzak under the awning Night had fallen, the great crescent lanterns on the stern rail were alight and cast a lurid glow along the vessel's length, picking out the shadowy for faintly on the naked backs of the slaves in their serried ranks along the benches, many of them bowed already in attitudes of uneasy slu from the mainmast, and yet another from the poop-rail for the Basha's convenience Overhead the clustering stars glittered in a cloudless sky of deepest purple The wind had fallen entirely, and the world rapped in stillness broken only by the faint rustling break of waves upon the beach at the cove's end

Sakr-el-Bahr crossed to Asad's side, and begged for a word alone with him

”I a, then,” said Sakr-el-Bahr ”I have long suspected it”

Marzak showed his teeth and growled inarticulately, whilst the Basha, taken aback by the ease reflected in the captain's careless,words, could but quote a line of the Koran hich Fenzileh of late had often nauseated him

”A man's son is the partner of his soul I have no secrets from Marzak

Speak, then, before him, or else be silent and depart”

”He may be the partner of thy soul, Asad,” replied the corsair with his bold ive thanks to Allah he is not the partner of mine

And what I have to say in some sense concerns my soul”

”I thank thee,” cut in Marzak, ”for the justice of thy words To be the partner of thy soul were to be an infidel unbelieving dog”