The King's Talisman — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

THE KINGS TALISMAN. 39 which you profess to derive such wonderful information for the ear-tickling of an ignorant, superstitious people.” ‘‘Modad,” uttered the dervise, in a calm, meaning tone, while he fixed his eyes upon the monarch, ‘‘I have sought the mystic lore!” ‘‘ And what learned ye?” asked the king, with a vain at- tempt to appear unconcerned, but while, in reality, a deadly pallcr overspread his features, for the fame of the old dervise of Mount Hor was too extensive, and his general character and popularity too well and widely established, to render his sayings light or unmeaning. ‘Shall I tell thee what I learned?” asked Abdah Nazor. ‘“ Speak—but beware how you speak,” returned the mon- arch, fairly shrinking from the two sharp eyes that were bent upon him. ‘Then listen, Modad! [I learned that thou didst not dare to fight the dastard king of Khaibar—that thou didst rob | an old man of his daughter, and moreover, that thou didst even lay hands upon the jewels of Pharaoh’s sacred crown, to appease avaricious Boljaz. Nay, speak not, but hear me out,” continued Abdah Nazor, as the frightened monarch started and gasped for breath. ‘‘ The poor youth whom [I educated thou hast consigned to death—to an ignominious, _cruel death. Thus much have I learned from my mystic lore. Have I learned rightly?” During the first part of the old man’s saying, the king had writhed like a criminal beneath the rack, but ere it was closed his face assumed a fearful expression, and starting up from his couch, he exclaimed: «Old man, your knowledge is so correct that thou hadst better by far have been ignorant of its purport, for with it you go not hence alive!” As the monarch spoke, he stepped back to the wall and made a sign to the two powerful mutes. That sign they had obeyed before, though not often, but they knew its Eomichbooks: co