The Sea-Hawk

e the city, and at his side, stepping daintily, came Fenzileh, his wife, the first lady of his hareem, whom eighteen years ago he h

, gently stirring her fan of ostrich plumes. She was unveiled; indeed it was her immodest habit to go naked of face more often than was seemly, which is but the least of the many undesirable infidel ways which had survived her induction into the Faith of Islam-a necessary step before Asad, who was devout to the point of bigotry, would consent to make her his wife. He had found her such a wife as it is certain he could never have procured at home; a woman who, not content to be his toy, the plaything of his idle hour, insinuated herself into affairs, demanded and obtained his confidences, and exerted over him much the same influence as the wife of a European prince might exert over her consort. In the years during which he had lain under the spell of her ripening be

ernal work of poisoning the mind of her lord against Sakr-el-Bahr, and in her maternal jealousy she braved the dangers of such an undertaking, fully aware of how dear to the heart of Asad-ed-Din was that absent renegade corsair. It was this very affection of the Basha's

t abused by him, O

ve heard me answer thee that thy words weigh for naught with me against his deeds. Words may be but

ft him, as she often did, in doubt whether she fawned or sneered. "And it is his d

ah, let those same deeds

scowl upon his haughty face, gave he

d he paced back towards the yellow huddle of walls of the

and some lingering embers of his youth still glowed in his dark eyes. Thoughtfully, with a jewelled hand, he stroked his long

d came a gentle murmur of doves as if returning thanks for the lessening of the great heat n

sical than either, yet laden with wo

! that never may I counsel thee for thine own glory

the Basha shortly. "I have to

of my soul? Is there in all the world a heart more faithful to thee than mine? Is not thy life my life? Have not my days been all devo

ghed jeeringly. "What shouldst th

no true Muslim, from one who makes a mock and trave

his stride, and tur

e rot, thou mo

, O my sweet lord, yet am I not wh

lam against the breast of the unbeliever, who carries the scourge of Allah against the infidel Frankish pigs, so mal

ould hail it gladly. Why, hear me now. Thou settest store by deeds, not words. Tell me, then, is it the d

s moments of uneasiness, and more than once had he taxed his lieutenant with the practice ever to receive the same ans

ht thou wrested me, or have I ever besought of thee the life of a single Sicilian infidel in all these years that I have lived to serve thee? Such longings are betrayed, I say, by such a practice, and such longings could have no place in one who had uprooted infidelity from his heart. And now this voyage of his beyond the seas-risking a vessel that he c

be content, thou fount

it is thy hand I'll never murmur a complaint. But heed me-heed my words; or since words are of no account with thee, then heed his deeds which I

of a bell with the devil swinging fro

t but mock me, withdrawing t

hen," said he. "Come, i

n-like, though she protested she ha

son, O fathe

O mother

sed over for this foreign upstart; yet does this Nasrani of yesterday

akr-el-Bahr leads them, or wield the scimitar against the foes of Islam and incre

my lord. And so might Marzak, young though he be. Sakr-e

h hath made him. He is what Allah wills. He shall become what Allah wills.

ion, conducted by her with a daring as singular as the patience that had endured it. He quickened his steps in the direction of

as Asad entered from the garden followed by Fenzileh, her head now veiled in a thin blue silken gauze. She flashed across the quadrangle and

Allah! Wa Muhamma

washed, turned his face towards Mecca, and testified to the unity of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful,

harp summons. Turkish janissaries of the Basha's guard, invisible almost in their

wick that was nourished by mutton fat. Asad, waiting to learn who came, halted at the foot of the white glistening st

light stepped the imposing, gorgeously robed figure of Asad's wazeer, Tsamanni. Af

sings upon thee, O mighty Asa

amanni," was the answer.

idings, O exalted one! S

ha, with uplifted hands; and there was

f gold salaamed to him from the topmast step. And as he came upright and the light of the lanterns fell full upon his face the a

the boy had been sent by his ever-watchful mother to

zak?" he said. "Sakr-

I hope," the

ailed at sunset into the harbour, his company aboard two mighty Franki

s answer to those insidious promptings of his Sicilia

rd," replied the wazeer. "But he hath sent h

er, whereat slaves placed cushions for him upon the ground.

had engaged a Dutchman that was their superior in strength and numbers; how none the less Sakr-el-Bahr had wrested victory by the help of Allah, his protector, how he had been dealt a wound that mu