Page:Marion Crawford - Khaled.djvu/123

 'Are you not afraid, Zehowah?'

'Can I change my destiny? If my hour is come, I shall die of a fever, or of a cold, whether she be with me or not. But if my years are not full, she cannot hurt me.'

'This is undoubtedly true,' answered Khaled, who could find nothing to say. 'But I will first question the woman myself.'

So he sent slaves with a litter to bring Almasta from the house of mourning to the palace, and when she was come he sent out all the other women and remained alone with her and Zehowah, making her sit down before him so that he could see her face. Her cheeks were pale, for she had not slept, having been occupied in weeping and lamentation during the whole night, and her eyes moved restlessly as those of a person distracted with grief.

Khaled then drew his sword and laid it across his feet as he sat and looked fixedly at Almasta.

'If you do not speak the truth,' he said, 'I will cut off your head with my own hand. Allah is witness.'

When Almasta saw the drawn sword, her face grew whiter than before, and for some moments she seemed not able to breathe. But suddenly she began to beat her breast, and broke out into loud wailings, rocking herself to and fro as she sat on the carpet.

'My husband is dead!' she cried. 'He was young;