CHAPTER XV--PURCHASING A HUMAN BEING
In a large room of many mirrors with frescoed ceilings of bright colors,the floors covered with Turkish rugs, and the place lavishly furnishedin Oriental style, were gathered seventeen girls of various races andstill more varying beauty. The cheeks of some were dusky, while otherswere wonderfully fair. All were attired in such fine clothes as seemedbest to enhance their good looks. They were taking their ease on divansand couches, some of them smoking cigarettes, some conversing, someremaining proudly apart from the others.
These were the girls brought to Damascus by the trader, and all were forsale, like so many cattle.
To this house came various wealthy men, who inspected the girlscritically, surveying them and taking note of their charms, much afterthe manner of men who purchase horses in open market. The old trader wason hand to dilate on the attractions of each girl and to listen to suchoffers as the gentlemen chose to make.
In Damascus, as in many other parts of the Orient, this was regarded asa legitimate business. To the would-be purchasers and the old traderthere was nothing of a shameful nature in connection with it. The girlsthus sold would be taken to the various homes of their purchasers, thereto become legitimate wives, after the custom of the country.
One girl, dressed in unusual taste, sat apart from the others, seemingtoo proud to attempt to enter into conversation with them. She was verypretty, and many were the envious glances cast toward her by the others.
She had lately been added to their number, and already they weregossiping that she was an English girl who found herself penniless inthe country, and was willing to become the wife of some rich man.
The old trader seemed to know he had secured a prize in this girl, forthe price he demanded for her was so high that several visitors who hadbeen attracted by her and were willing to pay unusually well to secureher, were compelled to content themselves with others, although they allrelinquished the hope of purchasing her with expressions of regret.
Finally a man of dignified bearing and polished appearance camesauntering into the room and paused, glancing around in a carelessmanner.
The moment the old trader saw this man he hastened to him, rubbing hishands and bowing very low.
"Welcome, most noble Pasha!" he exclaimed. "I am sure I shall this nighthave the pleasure of beholding thy pleasure. Never before has any manbrought to Damascus such a collection of feminine loveliness. Verilythey are pearls beyond price."
"So I have heard, Bilmah," was the answer. "Already I have met two whohave looked on your pearls, and they informed me that you had here onethat was almost priceless in your estimation. My curiosity has beengreatly aroused. I would look on this English maiden."
"Oh, there are others equally beautiful," the trader hastened todeclare--"many others. Look, yonder is a fair Circassian. I bought herfrom her father, and paid him----"
"Never mind her. I am not looking for a Circassian. They weary me. Ihave traveled in the West, and the women of those lands interest me. Iwould see the English maiden."
"But first thou shouldst see----"
"Not another one, old man! Show me the one I wish to see."
"But, great Pasha, it was understood between us that I should bringthither for thee the fairest Circassian I could discover----"
The visitor cut the old man short.
"You are wasting my time, old man. Unless you show me at once theEnglish maiden I will depart."
The trader made a gesture of resignation.
"Come!" he said.
The visitor followed him until they paused before the divan on which satthe girl who had attracted so much attention and admiration.
"Behold her!" said Bilmah.
The girl glanced up shyly over her outspread fan, giving the Turk asidelong glance from her fine, black eyes, in the depths of which therewas a strange light that fascinated him.
Hafsa Pasha bowed very low, his hand on his heart.
"So this is the one whose charms I heard extolled ere I crossed thethreshold of this house?" he said. "You are English, they tell me. It ismost astonishing to find an English girl here."
"I suppose it is," she answered, in a very low voice that was full ofstrange music and gave him a decided thrill.
He sat on the floor at her feet, rolling a cigarette.
"Tell me how it happens that you are here," he urged.
"I cannot," she answered, in apparent great confusion. "It is a tale ofmisfortune. Speak of something else."
"Are you aware what you are doing?"
"Fully."
"Do you know that once you have entered the harem of any man who maypurchase you there can be no backing out--no escape?"
"I have thought of it all."
"And you will not be the only wife of the husband who secures you."
"I know."
"Still, I cannot understand you. It is utterly unlike one of your bloodto do such a thing. There must be a reason for it."
"Of course there is. Perhaps I have a brother or a friend who is in deepdistress and needs money at once. Perhaps I have arranged with thetrader that a certain portion of the price paid for me shall be sent atonce to this person. Does that not offer an explanation?"
Hafsa Pasha lighted his cigarette and eyed her attentively.
"I have been told that the price Bilmah demands is exorbitant. Still,under certain circumstances you might be worth it to me."
"What are the circumstances?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"If I purchase you you will be mine to do as I command."
"Of course."
"Possibly I have somewhere another English-speaking maiden who rebelsagainst my authority and refuses to bow unto me."
"Another?" laughed the girl behind her fan. "You must be fond of theEnglish."
"Were I to purchase you, I should expect you to become without delay thecompanion of this other girl. I should expect you to exert yourinfluence upon her to lead her to submit to her lot."
"I see nothing very hard in that."
"But she might tell you a woeful tale of an imaginary wrong. She mightseek to arouse your sympathy. She might claim that she had been capturedand imprisoned against her will."
"I am growing interested. If you can afford to pay the price demandedfor me, you must be a very rich man."
"I am far from poor."
"You are kind to your wives?"
"I am gentleness itself."
"They have every comfort and luxury in the home you provide for them?"
"No woman can ask for more."
"Then this girl should soon learn to be contented and happy. She hassome peculiar ideas in her head just now, but she will get over them. Ifyou purchase me, I shall do everything in my power for her."
"You Western women are remarkable. No woman of the East would talk to melike this. I almost fear you. I seem to feel that you possess a strangepower that our women know nothing of."
Again she laughed.
"You'll get used to me in time," she said. "That is, you will if you arenot bluffing."
"Bluffing? Perhaps I know what you mean, and still----"
"I mean about paying the price Bilmah demands. I have seen men whopretended they were ready and willing to spend money when they had nothought of doing so."
"You shall see what I mean to do. Of course I have a right to make thebest bargain possible with old Bilmah."
"No; you must pay the price he demands. Whatever you induce him to takeoff you keep from the one to whom he is to send the money."
"Do you trust him to forward it?"
"That is fixed. The one who got me in here will see that Bilmah does notcheat."
"Very well. Although as yet I have seen scarcely more of your face thanyour eyes and forehead, yet I am going to pay the price. Be ready toleave this place directly. I shall have a carriage at the door in lessthan ten minutes."
Then Hafsa Pasha arose and sought the old trader.