Part 36 (2/2)
She ain on the threshold
”Thou'lt not relinquish her? Thou'lt not”
”Be at ease,” he answered her, on so resolved a note that she departed satisfied
CHAPTER XIII IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH
Sakr-el-Bahr stood lost in thought after she had gone Again he weighed her every word and considered precisely how he should meet Asad, and how refuse him, if the Basha's were indeed such an errand as Fenzileh had heralded
Thus in silence he re for Ali or another to summon him to the presence of the Basha Instead, however, when Ali entered it was actually to announce Asad-ed-Din, who followed i insisted in his iht to the presence of Sakr-el-Bahr
”The peace of the Prophet upon thee,
”And upon thee, my lord” Sakr-el-Bahr salaaesture he dismissed Ali
”I co
”A suppliant, thou? No need, my lord I have no will that is not the echo of thine own”
The Basha's questing eyes went beyond hilowed as they rested upon Rosamund
”I couided by my every instinct to the presence of her I seek--this Frankish pearl, this pen-faced captive of thy latest raid I ay fro Tsamanni returned thither from the sok; but when at last I learnt that he had failed to purchase her as I corief I feared at first that soht her and departed; but when I heard--blessed be Allah!--that thou wert the buyer, I was coain For thou'lt yield her up to me, my son”
He spoke with such confidence that Oliver had a difficulty in choosing the words that were to disillusion him Therefore he stood in hesitancy a ood thy, loss,” Asad ran on ”Thou shalt have the sixteen hundred philips paid and another five hundred to console thee Say that will content thee; for I boil with irimly ”It is an impatience well known to me, my lord, where she is concerned,” he answered slowly ”I boiled with it myself for five interminable years To land in a captured Frankish vessel Thou didst not know, O Asad, else thou wouldst”
”Bah!” broke in the Basha ”Thou'rt a huckster born There is none like thee, Sakr-el-Bahr, in any game of wits Well, well, name thine own price, strike thine own profit out of my impatience and let us have done”
”My lord,” he said quietly, ”it is not the profit that is in question
She is not for sale”
Asad blinked at him, speechless, and slowly a faint colour crept into his sallow cheeks
”Not not for sale?” he echoed, faltering in his amazement
”Not if thou offered me thy Bashalik as the price of her,” was the solemn answer Then more warmly, in a voice that held a note of intercession--”Ask anything else that is ladly will I lay it at thy feet in earnest ofelse” Asad's tone was impatient, petulant almost
”I want this slave”
”Then,” replied Oliver, ”I cast myself upon thy mercy and beseech thee to turn thine eyes elsewhere”