Arethusa

u afrai

looked up at him with a frightened stare. He had once seen a like terror i

drawing herself together, as it were, and turning

of the sword and was going to kill, but he had never seen a woman afraid of him in his life. In his narrow experience, they had always seemed glad that he shoul

u afrai

help; but the two maids had disappeared as soon as the master had entered, for so they ha

crowded her brain, as Zeno sat

. But perhaps he was a friend of the new Emperor, and it would amuse him to know that he had bought Michael Rhangabé's daughter. Or he might send for Rustan, and insist on revoking the bargain, and Rustan might take her back to the beggars' quarter,

ve in her resolve; the sight of death itself before her eyes should not ma

at the roots of her hair that stirred his blood, against his will. Also, the devil came and whispered to his heart that she was his personal property, as much as his horse, his house and his stores of merchandise. The laws about slaves were uncertain enough in Italy, but there was no doubt of the law in Constantinople. The slave Are

in the world, and the devil was not suggesti

hing which could never be done. The high-born girl, for the sake of a mother who was not her mother, and of brothers who were not of her blood, was resolved to be to the end what she had made herself to sa

ose to resist and play that he was not the master after all. His lean face was calm enough in the quiet lamplight, as it would

g that he was no longer in the room, Zo? turned her head. His eyes

you are,' he

this one, which seemed so natural to h

she asked in a low voice. 'Ha

at a th

can tell you nothing more, my lo

a slave,' said Zeno, leaning forwar

drooped under his gaze,

say?' he asked, disap

all, since he spoke so kindly; but still she

he said, almost directly. '

u had a

er kne

father

er kne

omen, and there was no reason why he sho

in a tone of annoyance, and he

quite truthfully, for she had not the least recollection of her own fat

holy things that it is tru

n impatie

ake an oath,' he

he did not see, for he had turned his back on her in his walk

or and clapped his hands

upper,'

Zeno prepared a salad himself with ingredients brought ready for making it, and when it was dressed he helped Zo? to a little of it. She had watched him, for the Italian custom was new to her

to the maids. 'I

Zeno had forgotten his displeasu

gently. 'If there is anything you

did not lift her hand. 'I have no appe

would not have been a woman if she had not seen that he felt a little shy, all at once, as the most fearless and energetic men may before a woman they do not understand. Then there was a change for the better in her own state; she breathed more freely, her heart beat mo

e had finished eating, he drank some wine, set down the glass, and looked at her with an expression that was meant to show something like anger; for he already regretted the time-distant five minutes-when she had been afraid of him, and he had bee

supper already?'

ek, as he felt his shyness increase,

raid of me any longer,' h

ar from you?' she aske

e did. She won. His face changed and softened, for b

e. Besides,' he added, with something like an effor

sting one hand on the e

went on, 'I did not

er seat. Then her tender mouth

ried scornfully. But Zeno laughed at the mere

a Venetian merchant, I believe. I have been

?'s face showe

But as for you, a friend of mine, a rich gentleman of Venice, has asked me as a favour to send him the

ave some power over him; and she was ashamed to own that he attracted her, though she meant to hate him. But the idea that he had only bought her like a piece of goods, to pass her on to an unknown man far away, was more than sh

s to soothe her. She turned her face to him suddenly, without wa

oaxingly. 'You will be a great person i

me? To-morrow?' The girl h

bout you,' Zeno answered. 'The money I gave the Bo

what he said. He would make up his mind about her! He might keep her after all! He had paid his own money for her! It was not possibl

ed, shutting her teet

resumed his seat, for he saw how angry she was. He had purposely spoken as if she were really the sl

furious at the thought of staying here! Of course, there is a third possibility. I would not send my friend a slave who would be so discontented as to poison him and his family, and I shall certainly

in that he w

ld be kind to me!' she sai

een too much annoyed to yi

o,' he answered. 'You must not expect too much Christian virtue of

ut she was angry with herself for passing through so many phases of like and dislike in so short a time, and for not feeling relief at the thought of being sent on a long journey, which certainly would

it,' she said.

stay here than go back to Rustan Karaboghazji a

rather t

aler would in some way claim his money from Kyría Agatha. Zeno was apparently satisfied with her answer, for he

t; and he held out his hand towards her, a

ew the ways of slaves, for there had been many in her adopted father's house, and she touched the tips of Zeno's fingers with her own and pressed her lips to

' he asked, not seeming to be much interested i

ith another question; if she answered with an untruth he should gain that mu

oath is never to be believed,' she said. 'It is the law th

smile. 'But you are quite safe! I only as

of a day,' Zo? ans

tended s

Then he only bou

rday e

? Will you t

a moment and

Constantinople, in whose closest intimacy I was brough

and speaking almost to himself. 'Poor gir

eyes and looke

e same father, though we never knew him. He di

him that she hated him. The only point he could not understand, was that Zo? should have smiled. But he thought, as was quite possible, that there might have been jealousy and even hatred between the mistress and her slave-born sister, and he would not enquire too clo

and seemed to be thinking of the past, as indeed she was, though it w

all what he really wished to do. He had believed her deeply wronged, and had paid a great sum to redress that wrong, almost without hesitating, because it was his

hould fear to be sent back to Rustan was only natural; she, who had no doubt always lived delicately in the great house where she had been born, must have felt the sordidness and the degradation of the

she might be beautiful beyond comparison, for he was incapable of attaching himself to beauty alone. Only his equal could be his mate, and he never could care long or truly for any creature that was less. At twenty, the youth in him would have boiled up and over for a week, or a month; but he was verging on thi

t himself attracted to her, and the line of her cheek and throat when her face was half-turned away was of exquisite beauty. Standing beside her for a moment, he knew that if ever

es. 'If you need anything, if you want anything, send fo

her name, as he knew it. He did not even

e asked, very anxiously, surpri

ke her into his arms, just for her loveliness, and close her s

I do not know,' he repeated, as if the problem were very har

food, and that the thought of eating no longer disgusted her. Half-ashamed of herself, she glanced at the door through which Zeno had disappeared, as if she thought he might come back, and listened, as though expectin

nk and above all, to guess at truth for themselves, they are much more unlike in their way of looking at things. This also is the reason why many gifted men and a good many really learned ones would rather talk to women than to men; for among men they hear the same things everlastingly, but women always have something new to say, which is flattering, pleasant, amusing, or irritating-perhaps, as they choose. W

haunted his dreams. More than once he got up and walked barefoot on the marble mosaic pavement of his room, and he threw open the shutters and looked out. The night was calm and clear, and the air was almost wintry. To the left of Pera's towering outline the northern constellations shone bright and cold. Each time he loo

to mention the existence of the women's apartment upstairs. On the other hand, although it was a Sunday, he had expected to be sent by his master to draw the money from the house of Cornèr, according to Pesaro'

ned barely an hour. Since then he had not even asked after the slave, and no one had seen her except the two little maids, who came out upon the landing to receive the meals at regular hours, but never spoke to the men-servants. The secretary could have asked to see Zo?, to enquire if she needed anything, and she would

particular care, Zo? thought, as she caught sight of him, and she did not draw back from the window, as she had done the first time, but stayed where she was, and she wished in her heart that he would look up and see her. He did not even turn as he stepped into the boat, and she thought he held his head lower than when she had last s

ground. It had wide sleeves, and they hid his joined hands as he stood waiting, in the attitude monks often take before a superior, or when reciting prayers before meals. But the man was not a monk, for he wore a broad

an, and he kept them half-closed. His scanty black beard had a few grey hairs in it. His nostrils curved sharply, but the nose was neither very large nor markedly aquiline. A commonplace face enough in Constantinople; but there was something oddly fixed in its expression, that made the slave feel uncomfortable and yet submissive.

me forward-a square-shouldered Venetian named Vito, who had been a sailor an

was the answer. 'My business

sitor to the private room of the counting-house on the ground floor, where

on which he always put on when he was going to write long, lest a spot of ink should stain the soft linen wrist-band which just showed below the tight cuff of h

ietrogliant,' s

wondered whether he should be able

he answered. 'What is your busin

e other, quite unmoved.

lias-I beg

r, seating himself on a high stool at Omo

cretary tentatively, after a long pa

a few seconds longer it did not seem to occur

unatic, which was indeed, in the secretary's opinion, much the same as an astrologer, for the Venetians were never grea

aid Gorlias, all at once speaking fluently and in a low voice. 'I h

the secretary

ink we are, by four t

red Omobono promptly, a

lias. 'By these tokens I shall trus

look and so dull in his voice that Omobono

s pledged beforehand. He inwardly hoped that his visitor was not going to ask him for money, for he suspected that some awful fate

in the house of Messer Sebastian Polo, who wishes to marry h

ared at th

e than I do,'

se you are kind to them. Therefore, whatever you do is right in their eyes. Upstairs there are three female slaves; one is Arethusa, the other two are called Yulia and Lucilla, and wait on

g that was his, rather than for such a favour; and he was about to risk refusing

ered, after a moment's thought. 'I mus

he sun, on the south side. There I will talk with Arethusa, while you stand by the door and watch us. I will draw figures, and appear to explain them to her, so that the two girl-slaves m

earning something more about the mystery that interested him. Zo? herself had prompted him with the second password o

n's apartment. There came a little pattering of slippered feet, and Lucilla opened the door just enou

obono. 'Here is a famous astrologer come to tell he

s with curiosity and smil

she observed, and disappeared

m Padua, also rolled up, and an Arabic almanack with a silver clasp. Omobono surveyed these preparations with mingled curiosity and sceptical amusement, till Lucilla opened the door again and ushered both men into Zo?'s presence. The astrologer made cabalistic s