Page:The Mating of the Blades.djvu/23

 causing the laughter that had bubbled to his lips to choke out in a surprised, ludicrous ululation.

“And, as to thee, remember that the mules friendship is a kick—and that thou art a mule, while thou”—her inexorable thumb stabbing toward the governor of the eastern marches who was trying to hide behind his twin brother—“shouldst consider that, the dinner over, an ungrateful dog values not the spoon, that, with the Ameer dead, thou hast forgotten how he picked thee, a leprous and most disgusting child, from the fetid slime of the bazaar gutter and raised thee to a high seat of dignity!

“As to thee,” confronting the Armenian, “O thou cursed borrower of half-rupees, observe that a benefit conferred on an ingrate is a line written in water, while thou”—indicating the Sheik-ul-Islam—“wouldst do well to ponder over the Afghan saying that it is as impossible to make a priest speak the truth as to cover a kettledrum with the skin of a mouse!

“Away, all of ye! Out of the presence of the Heavenborn, O ye great cockroaches! Ye fathers of bad smells! Ye sons of noseless mothers! Out—spawn of much filth! Out—before I, a meek and defenseless woman …”

They did not wait to hear the rest of her threat. The Babu leading, the Sheik-ul-Islam bringing up the rear in undignified hurry, his sacerdotal robe standing out like a flag, they ran from the room, stumbling over each other, while Ayesha Zemzem, turning to console her mistress, found that the latter had burst into peals of laughter, rocking to and fro in an abandon of mirth.