“And thou wouldst destroy those who saved thee.”
“Nay—thou art a woman.”
“Wah Illahi sahe!”
(By Allah, it is true.)
“I would not harm thee.”
“I can save thee if thou wilt swear by the beard of the prophet that thou wilt not seek revenge.”
“The price is too great.”
“And if thou refusest, death will be thy portion.”
“Better death than dishonor,” said Max, in a grandiloquent tone, which sounded almost ridiculous in the dark, but which would have been the signal for a burst of applause from the gallery of a theater had an actor so uttered the words on a stage.
All was still as the grave.