Page:Balkan Short Stories.djvu/258

246 “Do you remember the woman whom you gave me for the pleasure of my nights? He wanted her.”

“And you—did you kill her?”

“Friend,” replied Pan Strahinja, “suppose someone stole your great ruby, and you found both the thief and the ruby, what would you do with the thief?”

“I would kill him.”

“And then would you throw the ruby away?”

“I’d be damned if I would!”

“—therefore—I—”