Part 84 (2/2)

Hajji makes love to her.

She refuses to unveil,--at least, at once.

She makes appointment with him.

To meet him in the Executioner's Bath at moonrise.

All the women bathe then.

She will leave a little screen unlatched that leads to the furnaces under the baths.

These furnaces reached also from men's quarters through the door in the Court.

(She points it out to him.) He can come and see her there in Bath, when the other women are back in the Hareem.

The Executioner never returns from the Sultan till after supper.

They hear a noise.

She withdraws.

_Hajji struts about in great glee._ He hears Executioner coming He throws himself on his knees and prays.

_Executioner. Executioner returns armed.

Hajji. What has Hajji decided?

Scribe._ Hajji says he has been wrestling in prayer.

He cannot make up his mind to kill Sultan, a descendant of the Prophet.

Executioner says he also is a descendant of Prophet.

Hajji is accused of cowardice.

He denies it.

He says he has ties that bind him.

The risk is too great because of his daughter, his daughter, Zira.

He tells about her.

Finally he consents to kill Sultan on one condition.

No matter what happens to him the Executioner must marry the daughter.

The Executioner consents.

Hajji is overjoyed.

He quite forgets his own danger when he thinks his daughter will be the Sultana.

He will hurry off to his daughter's house, And have her conveyed to Executioner's house after sun-down.

Too beautiful to pa.s.s through the streets at day time.

Begs for a guard to convey her.

Once he has arranged with her he will come on to young Sultan's palace,-- ”The Sultan who will be dead. Who _is_ dead!”

He hurries off in great exultation.

[When the play was written, the mid-afternoon call to prayer was introduced here as a Curtain.] _Curtain_

SCENE 2

_Zira's home. Same scene as Scene 3, Act I. Small courtyard.

Zira sits with her guitar singing a love song._

_Zira. / Zira tries to get the Old Woman to go out Old Woman._

that night.

[Cut when play was < old=”” woman=”” suspicious=”” written.]=”” zira=”” calms=”” her=”” fears=”” coaxes=”” her,=”” pets=”” her=””>

_Hajji arrives_.

_Hajji. Hajji has come to break news to Zira.

Zira. Great news!

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