Kut-al-kulub-(indignantly) She swears thou hast chosen her thy wife. And that, after confessing she hath been loved by another. Mansur-Yehh! So she has been loved, has she this (with a great sneer) maid! I am to eat broken bread from other men's tables! So that is what thou art, O maid -broken bread! Marsinah (rising) 'Tis a lie! My loved one's loving is not of the color of thy loathsome lusting. 'Tis white as the turban of the Prophet. Nor can thy villainous tongue spot its purity. Mansur Ha! Ha! So great a fire in so small an oven? Yehh! Here will be a pleasing thing to rake and quench. Marsinah (kneeling, pleading) Oh, as thou art powerful be merciful! Forgive my fury! My lips know not what they say. Thou seest I am alone here, helpless as the fly in the tent of the spider. Have thou pity on me, so Allah have pity on thee! Mansur And how can Allah show me pity before I yet have sinned? O my hidden delight, I beseech thee unveil first, that I may learn the hell I am to fall unto through the curse of thy comeliness. Unveil, I tell thee. Marsinah-Never. Mansur Never! Thou'lt not? (He flings away his wine cup) Thus to thy likes! (He goes up to her and tears the veil from her) Marsinah (her head bowed, her long black hair uncoiling about her) Awah! Mansur By the Creator-she is beautiful-exceedingly! Kut-al-kulub (biting her lips) Is she? Mansur (turning to Kut-al-kulub and thrusting her down upon the couch) O thou viper, what made thee say otherwise? Jealous, art thou? Ha! Ha! Still-(To Marsinah -watching Kut-al-kulub) thou art lovesome and lovely, O my blossom, O my palm bud! (Marsinah rises) Thou shalt indeed be my bride this eventide. (He touches her head) Marsinah (shrinking away) If I pass this night here, I shall kill myself with mine own hand. Mansur Trouble not thy hand! For at dawn, O Marsinah-(He runs his hand down her robe) at dawn thou shalt pay for thine insolence with gorgeous untold sufferings, such as my soul never yet devised. (He smacks his lips. Mar Mansur (sardonically) Saidst thou not 'I am all thine'? (To Marsinah) Go, O my ruby! Seek thy setting, O bride of blood! (To the slaves) And look you she does no harm to her sweet body. (Marsinah, blanched and staring, is led to the back) Marsinah-Be this the end that Allah hath ordained me. 'Tis well! Yet the Judge of Judges is not unjust. He hath power to change our fate between the shutting and the opening of an eye. Thy hour will come! Thy death will find thee! Mansur Away! Marsinah-And black will it be, O Mansur! Black as the doomsday record! (Screams as she is dragged off. The door closes on Marsinah and the slaves) Mansur (calling after her) Ha! ha! ha! Thy rage but feeds me! Ha! ha! There's something still in life! Something! By Allah! This night will I make a night among nights! Ho, Kafur! Prepare my bath of scents! Hot and heating let it be! So that my tired pulses may beat-beat! And call thou the women! Let them come forth wildering to the wits, seducing to the senses! Song, and perfumes, and dance, till sunrise! What though the Caliph reap my head to-morrow, these last hours shall be locked in my breast, mine own! (Kafur leaves the room) Kut-al-kulub (kneeling before Mansur) Thus do I love my lord. (Throws her arms about him) thou, in sooth? (smiling on her) Dost Kut-al-kulub-Yea! Bid me do aught to add to thy content, and I'll do it. Mansur (in playful tone) Wilt thou? Kut-al-kulub-I swear it. Wilt thou? Mansur Thou? (He looks down at her, suddenly spits in her face, then turns and with a chuckling sneer, walks away) Go thou and sleep! (He hastily leaves the room) Kut-al-kulub (shaking with rage, her hands clenched) At this point Hajj enters. this fact from Jawan during the scene in the prison. Hajj, while making passionate love to Kut-al-kulub, cleverly gains his point, which is that she shall throw Marsinah out of the palace. Marsinah is dragged forth, and just as she makes her safe escape through a secret door, Hajj turns to find himself confronted by Mansur. Mansur is clad in a thin robe of yellow and is on his way Mansur (amazed) Hajj! Am Hajj-Only to die! Mansur picks up a scimitar and strikes a blow at him, but Hajj, seizing a cushion, wards off the blow. In trying to pass Mansur, he slips and sinks on his knees, revealing Jawan's chain around his neck. Mansur, about to strike, sees the chain, stays his hand, and gazes intently. Hajj-Ah! The broken hand Mansur Yes. Yes, I am Yusuf. Hajj-I? (He steadies himself on his knees deliberately) I am thy father. (He rises) Mansur (doubtfully) Thou? Hajj-Yes, I am he who has searched for thee year on year, ever since the caliph cap tured thee, O my son. Hajj-Am I he? Canst thou not recall my tent in the wild and wold, and the enemies' dust clouds walling the horizon, and my bending over thee and snapping this talisman in twain, giving thee half and keeping half. Mansur I recall it well. Art thou my father? Hajj-Look, the pieces fit. The hand is one, as our blood is. Dost thou still doubt? Mansur -Thou? But thou art Hajj, the beggar. Hajj-I have been many things since I lost thee, O my Yusuf. Mansur (overcome, kneels before Haij, bending his head) O my father! Hajj-(smiling his triumph over him, draws his knife stealthily) May Allah send thy soul-damnation! (He plunges the knife in Mansur's back, between the shoulder blades. Mansur groaning aloud and clutching at Hajj, rises and struggles with him) O snake and son of snake! I have killed thee, thee and thy father both in one day. Yes, thy true father, Jawan the White Sheik. He who defiled Gulnar, my wife, as thou wouldst defile Marsinah, my daughter. Ha! ha! Scratch wouldst thou? O thou rat, thou scorn of rats! Into the water with thee! Vermin must be drowned. (Lifting Mansur bodily, he hurls him into the plunge. Mansur tries to climb out of the tank, but Hajj intercepting him, grasps him by the throat, and holds him under the water. Mansur's hands can be seen clinging desperately to Hajj's arm) Hajj-Take thy fill. Ha! Good is't? Bubble, bubble, bubble! (Mansur's hand slowly relaxes out of sight. Hajj releases his body) body) At last! Silent bubbles. One! Two! No more? Nay, look not so largeeyed. 'Tis very simple. The springs of thy life are spent. (Drawing his arms out of the water and raising them to heaven) O Allah! Thou hast delivered into my hands the father. hands the father. Thou hast delivered into my hands the son. Glorified be thy glory! There is a sudden murmur of voices and crowds of soldiers and attendants rush in from every side. At the head of them is the Caliph, who, hearing of Marsinah's, plight, has come to save her. Hajj quickly explains the situation. Marsinah and the Caliph are united and Hajj is pardoned for his crime, on condition that he leaves Baghdad forever at the dawn of the next day. Heartbroken at leaving his daughter, but happy that he parts with her in such good hands, Hajj, just as the sun is sinking, goes to his old seat by the mosque steps, where Kasim is now installed. He kicks him thoroughly, curses him with what is left of his vocabulary aftera busy day, and then, curling himself up in his filthy old rags once more, he falls asleep. Hajj (yawning prodigiously) My say is said. So Glory be to the One, the Eternal, the Ruler of Tide and Time-Who sleepeth not. (Dropping to sleep) and to Mohammed his Prophet-chosen-amongst -mankind --Peace-and |