full of pity, leaned towards
the suppliant, meaning to raise her up. But when the slave had
sufficiently approached the bed where the poniard was, she raised
herself with a bound, and leaped to the weapon. Evidently she had not
lost sight of it since entering the tent, and before Albinik's stupefied
companion could oppose her, the poniard was flung into the outer
darkness.

By the peal of savage laughter which burst from the Moorish girl when
she had thus disarmed Meroe, the latter saw that she had been betrayed.
She ran toward the dark passage to recover her poniard, or to flee. But
out of those shadows, she saw coming--Caesar.

Stricken with fear, the Gallic woman recoiled several steps, Caesar
advanced likewise, and the slave disappeared by the opening, which was
immediately closed again. By the uncertain step of the Roman, by the
fire in his looks, the excitement which impurpled his cheeks, Meroe saw
that he was inebriate. Her terror subsided. He carried under his arm a
casket of precious wood. After silently gazing at the young woman with
such effrontery that the blush of shame again mounted to her forehead,
the Roman drew from the casket a rich necklace of chased gold. He went
closer to the lamp-light in order to improve its glitter in the eyes of
the woman whom he wished to tempt. Then, simulating an ironical
reverence, he stooped and placed the necklace at the feet of the Gaul.
Rising, he questioned her with an audacious look.

Meroe, standing with arms crossed on her breast, heaving with
indignation and scorn, looked haughtily at Caesar, and spurned the
collar with her foot.

The Roman made an insulting gesture of surprise; he laughed with an air
of disdainful confidence; and then drew from the casket a magnificent
gold net-work for the hair, all encrusted with carbuncles. After making
it sparkle in the lamp-light, he deposited the second trinket also at
the feet of Meroe. Redoubling his ironical respect, he rose, and seemed
to say:

"This time I am sure of my triumph!"

Meroe, pale with anger, smiled disdainfully.

Then Caesar emptied at the young woman's feet all the contents of the
casket. It was like a flood of gold, pearls, and precious stones, of
necklaces, zones, earrings, bracelets, jewels of all sorts.

This time Meroe did not push away the gewgaws with her foot. She ground
under the heel of her boot as many of the trinkets as she could rapidly
stamp upon, and drove back the infamous debauche