"No, my lord"--responded Zibya promptly--"'Tis veiled in deeper mystery than usual. I have inquired of many, but in vain,--and even the Chief Flamen of the Outside Court of the Temple, always drunk and garrulous as he is, can tell me naught of the holy victim's title or parentage. "Tis a passing fair wench!' said he, with a chuckle.. 'That is all I know concerning her ... a passing fair wench!' Ah!" and Zibya rolled up the whites of his eyes and sighed in a comically contemplative manner.. "If ever a Flamen deserved expulsion from his office, it is surely yon ancient, crafty, carnal-minded soul! ... so keen a glance for a woman's beauty is not a needful qualification for a servant of the Snake Divine! Methinks we have fallen upon evil days! ... maybe the crazed Prophet is right after all, and things are coming to an end!"
"Like thy discourse, I hope, Zibya!" observed Sah-luma, yawning and flinging himself lazily back on his velvet couch,--"Get hence, and serve thy customers with their cheap news, . . depend upon it, some of them are cursing thee mightily for thy delay! And if thou shouldst chance to meet the singing-maiden of my household, Niphrata, bid her make haste homeward,--she hath been absent since the break of morn,--too long for my contentment. Maybe I did unwisely to give the child her freedom,--as slave she would not have presumed to gad abroad thus wantonly, without her lord's permission. Say, if thou seest her, that I am wrathful,--the thought of mine anger will be as a swift wing to waft her hither like a trembling dove,--afraid, all penitent, and eager for my pardon! Remember! ... be sure thou tell her of my deep displeasure!"
Zibya bowed profoundly, his outspread hands almost touching the floor in the servility of his obeisance, and backed out of the room as humbly as though he were leaving the presence of royalty. When he had gone, Theos looked up from the news-scroll he was perusing: "Is it not strange Niphrata should have left thee thus, Sah- luma?".. he said with a touch of anxiety in his tone ... "Maybe".. and he hesitated, conscious of a strange, unbidden remorse that suddenly and without any apparent reason overwhelmed his conscience.. "Maybe she was not happy?"...
"Not happy!" ejaculated Sah-luma amazedly, "Not happy with ME? ... not happy in MY house,--protected by MY patronage? Where then, if not here, could she find happiness?"
And his beautiful flashing eyes betokened his entire and naive astonishment at the mere supposition. Theos smiled involuntarily.. how, charming, after all was Sah-luma's sublime egotism!--how almost child-like was his confidence in himself and his own ability to engender joy! All at once the young girl Zoralin spoke,--her accents were low and timorous: "May it please my lord Sah-luma to hear me..." she said and paused.