friendship of Excellenz? What is he then, this Gerhardt, but a millionaire? Why is nobility so gracious then? What does Gerhardt give for his Red Eagle?—for the politeness of Excellenz?—for the crooked smile of a Bavarian Baroness and the lifted lorgnette of Austria? What does he give for me? Who buys me after all? Enver? Talaat? Hilmi? Who sells me? Excellenz? Von-der-Goltz? You? And who pays for me? Gerhardt, who takes his profit in Red Eagles and offers me to d’Eblis for something in exchange to please Excellenz—and you? And what, at the end of the bargaining, does d’Eblis pay for me—pay through Gerhardt to you, and through you to Excellenz, and through Excellenz to the Kaiser Wilhelm II——” 16 Ferez, showing his teeth, came close to her and spoke very softly: “See how white is the moonlight off Seraglio Point, my Nihla!... It is no whiter than those loveliest ones who lie fathoms deep below these little silver waves.... Each with her bowstring snug about her snowy neck.... As fair and young, as warm and fresh and sweet as thou, my Nihla.” He smiled at her; and if the smile stiffened an instant on her lips, the next instant her light, dauntless laughter mocked him. “For a price,” she said, “you would sell even Life to that old miser, Death! Then listen what you have done, little smiling, whining jackal of his Excellency! I go to Paris and to my career, certain of my happy destiny, sure of myself! For my opportunity I pay if I choose—pay what I choose—when and where it suits me to pay!——” She slipped into French with a little laugh: “Now go and lick thy fingers of whatever crumbs have stuck there. The Count d’Eblis is doubtless licking his. Good appetite, my Ferez! Lick away lustily, for God does not temper the jackal’s appetite to his opportunities!” Ferez let his level gaze rest on her in silence. “Well, trafficker in Eagles, dealer in love, vendor of youth, merchant of souls, what strikes you silent?” But he was thinking of something sharper than her tongue and less subtle, which one day might strike her silent if she laughed too much at Fate. And, thinking, he showed his teeth again in that noiseless snicker which was his smile and laughter too. The girl regarded him for a moment, then deliberately mimicked his smile:
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