"May the infidels be accursed!" said the Sultan.
"The Ameer has sent a white female slave for the Sultan's hareem."
"The slave will be welcome," said the Sultan.
"God is great!" said the Wezeer, "but as my lord can see, the object of the Ameer is to embroil the Sultan with the French, and compel us to be his allies."
"Are we Algerines and sons of Othman that we should fear the infidels?" said the Sultan; "send a letter of thanks to the Ameer, and a present of steeds with embroidered trappings."
"My lord's will shall be obeyed," said the Wezeer. He then continued, "The French are strong in ships, O Sultan! and Suerah will be attacked by sea, and where will be my lord's revenues from the merchants? Moreover, the slave is not young, and has grey eyes, and red hair: by the side of the houris of Mequinez, she is an Afreet!"
"Let her be sent back!" exclaimed the Sultan: "why should we quarrel with the Francese? They can stop our commerce on the sea. Who is Abd el Kader that we should fight for him? Is he not a Berebber of the Kabyles? Send orders, O Wezeer, to the Kaïd of Oujda to resist any violation of our frontier."
"The Khalifa shall be obeyed," said the astute Wezeer.
He then took up another letter. "Here, O my lord," he said, "is news that war is about to break out between the Inglees and the Oroose; may the Beneficent give us peace."
"O Wezeer," said the Sultan, "what is that to us? let the infidels fight, what is that to the true believers? if the dog bite the pig, or the pig bite the dog, what is that to us? Are we not Moslemeen?" And he arose and broke up the audience.