Nay, nay, you are most kind, but I will not detain you another minute.

Seek your bed, my uncle, and forget not to thank God for your escape from many perils." At this polite mockery Joshua turned perfectly pale with rage, like the turkey cock when his wattles fade from scarlet into white.

Before he could make any answer, however, Maqueda had vanished under the archway, so his only resource was to curse us, and especially Quick, who had caused him to fall from his horse.

Unfortunately the Sergeant understood quite enough Arabic to be aware of the tenor of his remarks, which he resented and returned: "Shut it, Porpoise," he said, "and keep your eyes where Nature put 'em, or they'll fall out." "What says the Gentile ?" spluttered Joshua, whereon Orme, waking up from one of his fits of lethargy, replied in Arabic: "He says that he prays you, O Prince of princes, to close your noble mouth and to keep your high-bred eyes within their sockets lest you should lose them"; at which words those who were listening broke into a fit of laughter, for one redeeming characteristic among the Abati was that they had a sense of humour.
After this I do not quite know what happened for Orme showed signs of fainting, and I had to attend to him.

When I looked round again the gates were shut and we were being conducted toward the guest-wing of the palace by a number of gaily dressed attendants.
They took us to our rooms--cool, lofty chambers ornamented with glazed tiles of quaint colour and beautiful design, and furnished somewhat scantily with articles made of rich-hued woods.