whilst watching the
Nautch Dance in which the Indian Nautch girl, fully clothed, indeed in
high tight bodice and ankle-length, voluminous skirt, will drive her
native audience clean crazy with the tapping of her feet and slight,
undulating movements of the slender body and rod-like arms. It is
indeed the dullest thing on earth to watch if you are unable to follow
and _interpret_ every little movement. But if you can--well! the
unexpurgated version of the Arabian Nights will be as milk-and-water
compared to the heady brew offered for your consumption. And the old
Harrovian sitting cross-legged, upon a heap of cushions, with the smoke
of the _nargileh_, drifting from between his lips, smiled as he picked
up the thread of the same old story which had been spun for him when,
an arrogant youth of twelve summers, he had ruled his house with no
gentle hand.
Otherwise he showed little interest and felt no desire to lift the
tantalising veil; neither did he turn his head, else might he have seen
the ebony face of the Ethiopian eunuch peering from between a mass of
flowers, from which point of vantage he watched the scene with intent
to report thereon to his black twin-brother.
At last, and very slowly, and with a growing feeling of resentment in
the place where her heart by rights should have been, Zulannah sped
down the court upon her toes and fell at the edge of the piled
cushions, causing the dogs to growl softly at her daring.
"Thou art a beautiful dancer, woman," said Hugh Carden Ali, making no
movement to lift the veil. "Behold, I have passed a pleasant hour and
would reward thee. What thou wilt. Money--jewels?--speak."
From behind the wisp of veil which fluttered in the dancer's quick
breathing came the barely whispered answer.
"I hear thee not, woman; raise thy voice and be not afraid. I will
give thee what thou desirest."
"One hour!"
The man bent forward to catch the words, and when their full import
struck him, leapt to his feet and catching the woman's wrist jerked her
upright, ripping the veil from before her face.
"_Zulannah_!" he cried, and sprang back, having heard of the lady's
deft handling of her dagger when in the tantrums. Then he caught both
wrists and held her pinioned, looking with loathing into the exquisite,
furious face, whilst the great dogs, fangs bared, ruffs upstanding,
sniffed suspiciously at the knees and waist, even rising on their
hind-legs to snuff the slender neck of
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