The King's Talisman — page 167: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

158 THE KINGS TALISMAN. not forget the strange suspicion we conceived upon the desers.”’ Selina’s face glowed again as her companion spoke, and she hushed the quicker pulsations that her fears had started forth. The king moved on from the apartment where he had left his female prisoners, and with a hurried step he sought his — place of private audience. Ahab and Mizar were both there, for they dared not be out of their monarch’s hearing now, and the trembling that seized upon them as Modad entered showed how much they feared. A dozen turns had the king taken between the two marble columns that sup- ported the ceiling, when he stopped and smiled a Tartarean look, as some new idea of wickedness seemed to cross his mind. | _ ** Ahab,” said he, while his eyes sparkled with a fierce de- light, ‘‘the day after to-morrow is the season for the enter- tainments at the theater.” f* Yes, sire.” ‘The Syrian Lion is in readiness?” es F16.18;: sires” ‘‘ And the Bengal Tiger?” ‘‘Ts also in readiness, your majesty.” _‘*Go you, Mizar, and tell the superintendent that the hired swordsman will not be wanted for that day; and tell him, too, that from this moment I would not have the ani- mals fed. I will find men for the occasion.” Mizar turned amazed away, and as soon as he was gone, the king exclaimed: “Ah, Ahab, I have sport in store. The wild beasts shall have food in plenty to make up for fasting.” ‘* How means your majesty?” “The Egyptian eunuchs, Ahab! They shall give us sport in the amphitheater. Thus begins my revenge, and woe to the enemy who next falls into my hands!” 7 Eomicboo “S (Efe)