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'But where shall I find her? cried Neangir, kissing the charming miniature on which his eyes were fixed. 'I am unable to tell you more, replied his host cautiously. 'But I can' interrupted Zelida eagerly. 'To-morrow you must go to the Jewish bazaar, and buy a watch from the second shop on the right hand. And at midnight
This morning my old slave informed me that she had discovered the traitors who had stolen my daughters from me, and I hastened hither to avenge them. But I place myself in your hands, and will follow your counsel. 'Fate will favour us, I am sure, said the Bassa, 'for this very night I expect to secure both the silver and the gold watch. So send at once and pray Zelida to join us.
They entered a large room, where a girl of about twelve years old was laying three places at the table. 'Zelida, said the stranger, 'was I not quite right when I told you that I should bring back a friend to sup with us?
But I could think of nothing but the beautiful Zelida, and my passion, which I thought I had conquered, awoke in full force. 'In order to remove this dangerous rival from my path, I resolved to kidnap him, and to this end I began to act a madman, and to sing and dance loudly, crying to the slave to fetch the boy and let him see my tricks.
No, do not think I will tamely bear this insult! It was I who wrote the letter which stopped Zelida in the act of drinking the elixir of love! As for you," she went on, turning to my brothers, "you do not yet know what those two watches will cost you! But you can learn it now, and the knowledge of the truth will only serve to render your lives still more miserable."
And now, lovely Zelida, nothing prevents me any longer from offering you the hand, when the heart has been yours always. But though Hassan never thought of asking or caring what had caused his cure, the others were by no means so indifferent. It was quite clear that the little black pig must be dead but how, and when?
At this instant the old slave whom we had bribed to let us enter the house, rushed into the room announcing the return of Zelida's father. My brothers, trembling with fright, hid the watches in their turbans, and while the slave was attending to Zelida, who had sunk fainting to the ground, we managed to make our escape.
During the meal the host talked a great deal upon all sorts of subjects; but Neangir did nothing but look at Zelida, as far as he could without being positively rude. The girl blushed and grew uncomfortable, and at last turned to her father. 'The stranger's eyes never wander from me, she said in a low and hesitating voice. 'If Hassan should hear of it, jealousy will make him mad.
But alas! it was to no purpose that Nathan Ben-Sadi had warned us to close our hearts against their charms! The peerless Aurora was clothed in a garment of golden hue, studded all over with flashing jewels; the fair-haired Argentine wore a dress of silver, and the young Zelida, loveliest of them all, the costume of a Persian lady.
And here is the elixir which I have brought with me, so that their joy may equal ours. And she held out the flask to the Bassa, who had it closed in his presence. Zambac was filled with joy at the sight of Zelida, and embraced her with delight. Then she led the way into the garden, and invited all her friends to seat themselves under the thick overhanging branches of a splendid jessamine tree.
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