But the price asked by
Mohammed Abd-el-Bali was beyond the purses of all except one of the
agents. He had indeed settled the bargain, when the singing and
dancing and shouting--every sound it seemed--ceased about me ... and
into the little room in which I crouched amongst perfumed cushions at
the feet of the two men, walked Fo-Hi."
CHAPTER IV
MISKA'S STORY _(concluded)_
"Of course, I did not know that this was his name at the time; I only
knew that a tall Chinaman had entered the room--and that his face was
entirely covered by a green veil."
Stuart started, but did not interrupt Miska's story.
"This veil gave him in some way a frightfully malign and repellent
appearance. As he stood in the doorway looking down I seemed to _feel_
his gaze passing over me like a flame, although of course I could not
see his eyes. For a moment he stood there looking at me; and much as
his presence had affected me, its affect upon the slave-dealer and my
purchaser was extraordinary. They seemed to be stricken dumb. Suddenly
the Chinaman spoke, in perfect Arabic. 'Her price?' he said.
"Mohammed Abd-el-Bali, standing trembling before him, replied:
"'Miska is already sold, lord, but----"
"'Her price?' repeated the Chinaman, in the same hard metallic voice
and without the slightest change of intonation.
"The _harem_ agent who had bought me now said, his voice shaking so
that the words were barely audible:
"'I give her up, Mohammed--I give her up.
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