FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   >>   >|  
God, what did his master mean? Ali's big eyes began to fill, and great beads rolled down his black cheeks. Then, recovering his speech he blurted out that he would not go. He would follow his father and serve him until the end of his life. What did he want with wages? Who asked for any? No going his ways for him! A pretty thing, wasn't it, that he should go off, and never see his father again, no, nor Naomi--Naomi--that-that--but God would show! God would show! And, following Ali's lead, Fatimah stepped up to Israel and offered her paper back. "Take it," she said; "I don't want any liberty. I've got liberty enough as I am. And here--here," fumbling in her waistband and bringing out a knitted purse; "I would have offered it before, only I thought shame. My wages? Yes. You've paid us wages these nine years, haven't you; and what right had we to any, being slaves? You will not take it, my lord? Well, then, my dear master, if I must go, if I must leave you, take my papers and sell me to some one. I shall not care, and you have a right to do it. Perhaps I'll get another good master--who knows?" Her brows had been knitted, and she had tried to look stern and angry, but suddenly her cheeks were a flood of tears. "I'm a fool!" she cried. "I'll never get a good master again; but if I get a bad one, and he beats me, I'll not mind, for I'll think of you, and my precious jewel of gold and silver, my pretty gazelle, Naomi--Allah preserve her!--that you took my money, and I'm bearing it for both of you, as we might say--working for you--night and day--night and day--" Israel could endure no more. He rose up and fled out of the patio into his own room, to bury his swimming face. But his soul was big and triumphant. Let the world call him by what names it would--tyrant, traitor, outcast pariah--there were simple hearts that loved and honoured him--ay, honoured him--and they were the hearts that knew him best. The perilous task reserved for Ali was to go to Shawan and to liberate the followers of Absalam, who, less happy than their leader, whose strong soul was at rest, were still in prison without abatement of the miseries they lay under. He was to do this by power of a warrant addressed to the Kaid of Shawan and drawn under the seal of the Kaid of Tetuan. Israel had drawn it, and sealed it also, without the knowledge or sanction of Ben Aboo; for, knowing what manner of man Ben Aboo was, and knowing Katrina also, and the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
master
 

Israel

 

offered

 

knitted

 

knowing

 
liberty
 
hearts
 

Shawan

 
honoured
 

father


pretty

 

cheeks

 
recovering
 

triumphant

 
pariah
 

simple

 
traitor
 
outcast
 

tyrant

 

working


blurted

 

speech

 

bearing

 

endure

 

swimming

 

rolled

 

reserved

 

warrant

 

addressed

 

abatement


miseries

 
manner
 

Katrina

 

sanction

 

Tetuan

 
sealed
 

knowledge

 
prison
 

liberate

 
followers

Absalam
 

perilous

 
strong
 
leader
 

thought

 

slaves

 
Fatimah
 

bringing

 
waistband
 

fumbling