ly, and whatever thou wast born it
were well to remember what thou art become."

He went on at length to tell her of the precise degree of her folly, but
she cut in, stemming his protestation in full flow.

"These are idle words that but delay me."

"To thy purpose then, in Allah's name, that thus thou mayest depart the
sooner."

She came to it straight enough on that uncompromising summons. She
pointed to Rosamund. "It concerns that slave," said she. "I sent my
wazeer to the sok to-day with orders to purchase her for me."

"So I had supposed," he said.

"But it seems that she caught thy fancy, and the fool suffered himself
to be outbidden."

"Well?"

"Thou'lt relinquish her to me at the price she cost thee?" A faint note
of anxiety trembled in her voice.

"I am anguished to deny thee, O Fenzileh. She is not for sale."

"Ah, wait," she cried. "The price paid was high--many times higher than
I have ever heard tell was given for a slave, however lovely. Yet I
covet her. 'Tis a whim of mine, and I cannot suffer to be thwarted in my
whims. To gratify this one I will pay three thousand philips."

He looked at her and wondered what devilries might be stirring in her
mind, what evil purpose she desired to serve.

"Thou'lt pay three thousand philips?" he said slowly. Then bluntly asked
her: "Why?"

"To gratify a whim, to please a fancy."

"What is the nature of this costly whim?" he insisted.

"The desire to possess her for my own," she answered evasively.

"And this desire to possess her, whence is it sprung?" he returned, as
patient as he was relentless.

"You ask too many questions," she exclaimed with a flash of anger.

He shrugged and smiled. "You answer too few."

She set her arms akimbo and faced him squarely. Faintly through her veil
he caught the gleam of her eyes, and he cursed the advantage she had in
that her face was covered from his reading.

"In a word, Oliver-Reis," said she, "wilt sell her for three thousand
philips?"

"In a word--no," he answered her.

"Thou'lt not? Not for three thousand philips?" Her voice was charged
with surprise, and he wondered was it real or assumed.

"Not for thirty thousand," answered he. "She is mine, and I'll not
relinquish her. So since I have proclaimed my mind, and since to tarry
here is fraught with peril for us both, I beg thee to depart."

There fell a little pause, and neither of them noticed the alert
interest stamped upon the white face of Ros