“Well, you must tell the poor girl that I already have a wife,” said Coth, “even over and above an understanding with a seller of water-cresses.”
“I do not,” Vemac submitted, “see what that has to do with it. In Tollan a man is permitted as many wives as he cares to have, within, of course, reason.”
“Marrying does not come under the head of reason,” said Coth.
“Then, as the husband of my only child,” said Vemac, “you will rule over Tollan along with me.”
“Oh! oh!” said Coth. For, since he had punctiliously disobeyed Yaotl in everything, he knew this must be a coincidence, and it seemed a very strange coincidence.
“And, finally,” said Vemac, “if you are hard-headed about this really excellent opening in life for a green pepper vendor, we shall have to persuade you.”
“But how,” asked Coth, reservedly, “how would you persuade me?”
Vemac raised his brown hand. His persuaders came, masked, and bringing with them their implements and a stalwart male slave. They demonstrated their methods of persuasion; and after what remained of the slave was quiet at last, Coth also for a while remained quiet.
“Of two evils,” Coth said then, “one should choose the more familiar. I will marry.”
He let them take him and bathe him and trim his long mustachios and dye his body black and perfume him and set upon his great bald head a coronal of white hens’ feathers. A red cloth was wrapped about his loins, upon his feet a priest put painted sandals with little golden bells fastened to them, and about Coth’s scented body was placed a mantle of yellow netting very beautifully fringed.