u surmise?

SHALNASS.
Coquettish chatter
May do for youthful apes. But I am old,
And know the power that I have over you.

SOBEIDE.
That power thou hast, but thou wilt not employ it
To do me hurt.

SHALNASS.
No, by the eternal light!
But I am not a maker of sweet sayings,
Nor fond of talk.
Deliberate flattery I put behind me:
The mouth that sucks the sweetness of the fruit
Is mute. And this is chiefly autumn's trade.
Yea, though the spring may breathe a sweeter odor,
Old autumn laughs at him.--Nay, look not so
Upon my hand. Because 'tis full of veins,
Rank weeds, in which the juice of life dries up.--
O, it will seize thee yet and it can hold thee!
What, pain so soon? I'll soothe it with a string
Of pearls, come, come!

[Tries to draw her away.]

SOBEIDE (frees herself).
Have mercy, thou, my poor enfeebled brain
Is all deranged. Is it to me thou speakest?
Speak, thou art surely drunken or wouldst mock me.
Knowst thou then who I am? Oh yes, thou saidst
My husband. Yes, this was my wedding-day!
Knowst thou it? When I stood with him alone,
My husband, then it all came over me;
I wept aloud, and when he asked me, then
I lifted up my voice against him, spoke
To him of Ganem, of thy son, and told him
The whole. I'll tell thee later how it was.
Just now I know not. Only this: the door
He opened for me, kindly, not in anger,
And said to me I was no more his wife,
And I might go where'er I would.--Then go
And fetch me Ganem! Fetch him here for me!

SHALNASS. (angrily grasps his beard).
Accursed deception! Speak, what devil let thee in?

SOBEIDE.
Dear sir, I am the only child of Bachtjar,
The jeweler.

SHALNASS. (claps his hands, the slave comes).
Call Ganem.

SOBEIDE (involuntarily).
Call him hither.

SHALNASS. (to the slave).
Bring up the dinner. Is the dwarf prepared?

SLAVE.
They're feeding him; for till his hunger's gone,
He is too vicious.

SHALNASS.
Good