Page:Kéraban the Inflexible Part 1 (Jules Verne).djvu/79

Rh to have a sail in that vessel upon such a blue sea, and with such a gentle wind, just enough to make it bend over with those great sails."

Then, in the mutability of her imagination, the young Zingara, perceiving a casket, in which were some jewels, upon a small table near the divan, opened the case and said, "Ah! look at the beautiful things Seigneur Ahmet has brought for you. It must be more than an hour since we looked at them!"

"Do you think so?" murmured Amasia, taking out a necklace and a pair of bracelets, which glittered as she held them up.

"With these jewels Seigneur Ahmet hopes to make you more beautiful, but he will not succeed!" remarked Nedjeb.

"What do you say?" replied Amasia. "Where is the woman who would not gain by wearing such beautiful ornaments as these? Look at these diamonds from Visapour; they are exquisitely brilliant, almost fiery, and remind me of the eyes of my fiancé."

"Oh, dear lady, when yours look at him, do you not offer him a gift equal to his own?"

"Silly child!" replied Amasia. "Look at this sapphire of Ormuz; and these pearls of Ophir; these turquoises of Macedonia—"

"Turquoise for turquoise," said Nedjeb, laughing joyously. "The Seigneur Ahmet will not lose by the exchange."

"Fortunately he is not near, Nedjeb, to hear you say so."

"Ah! but if he were, he would tell you the same, and his words would have greater value than mine."

Then, taking up a pair of slippers which were lying near, she continued, "Look at these pretty 'babouches,' all embroidered and trimmed with swan's-down, made for a pretty pair of little feet I know. Let me see if I can put them on for you."

"Try them on yourself, Nedjeb."

"I?" exclaimed the girl.

"This is not the first time that, to please me, you—"

"Certainly, certainly," replied Nedjeb. "Yes, I have