] superior to that
of the pilgrims. My brother was then taken as a slave by one of
the Beduins, who put him under the bastinado for several days, to
oblige him to ransom himself. Schacabac protested to him that it
was all in vain. I am your slave, said he, you may dispose of me
as you please: but I declare unto you that I am extremely poor,
and not able to redeem myself. In a word, my brother discovered
to him all his misfortunes, and endeavoured to soften him with
tears; but the Beduin had no mercy; and, being vexed to find
himself disappointed of a considerable sum, which he reckoned he
was sure of, he took his knife, and slit my brother's lips, to
avenge himself, by this inhumanity, for the loss that he imagined
he had sustained.
The Beduin had a handsome wife; and frequently, when he went on
his courses, he left my brother alone with her, and then she used
all her endeavours to comfort my brother under the rigour of his
slavery: she gave him tokens enough that she loved him; but he
durst not yield to her passion, for fear he should repent it, and
therefore he shunned to be alone with her, as much as she sought
the opportunity to be alone with him. She had so great a custom
of toying and jesting with the miserable Schacabac, whenever she
saw him, that one day she happened to do it in presence of her
husband.
Pages:
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610