Who am I to dispute with the
Mandarin Fo-Hi;' and performing an abject obeisance he backed out of
the room.
"At the same moment, Mohammed, whose knees were trembling so that they
seemed no longer capable of supporting him, addressed the Chinaman.
"'Accept the maiden as an unworthy gift,' he began--
"'Her price?' repeated Fo-Hi.
"Mohammed, whose teeth had begun to chatter, asked him twice as much
as he had agreed to accept from the other, Fo-Hi clapped his hands,
and a fierce-eyed Hindu entered the room.
"Fo-Hi addressed him in a language which I did not understand,
although I have since learned that it was Hindustani, and the Indian
from a purse which he carried counted out the amount demanded by the
dealer and placed the money upon a little inlaid table which stood in
the room. Fo-Hi gave him some brief order, turned and walked out of
the room. I did not see him again for four years--that is until my
nineteenth birthday.
"I know that you are wondering about many things and I will try to
make some of them clear to you. You are wondering, no doubt, how such
a trade as I have described is carried on in the East to-day almost
under the eyes of European Governments. Now I shall surprise you. When
I was taken from the house of the slave-dealer, in charge of Chunda
Lal--for this was the name of the Hindu--do you know where I was
carried to? I will tell you: to _Cairo!"_
"Cairo!" cried Stuart--then, perceiving that he had attracted
attention by speaking so loudly, he lowered his voice.
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