He broke off, lost in thought, staring down at the dim oval of her face. Again he twitched a little. Again his fingers tightened on her arms. He twisted her around with a kind of violence of confrontation.
"But wouldst thou rather talk with other men than with me? Dost thou no longer love me, then?"
"Ai, master, I love thee. I wish to see no other man than thee."
"Ah, my star, I know!" He drew her close and covered her face with his kisses.
And in her ear he whispered: "And when I come for thee in the night, thou wilt go with me? Say!"
"I will go, sidi. In-cha-'llah! If God will!"
At that he shook her again, even more roughly than before.
"Don't say that! Not, 'If God will!' Say to me, 'If thou wilt.'"
"Ai—Ai ——"
There was a silence.