CHAPTER XXIII THE VENGEANCE OF MAIE

 To those who looked after Agahr with pitying eyes a slave entered, announcing a messenger for David the Jew.

 

The little man hurried away to the next chamber¹, where, dimly lighted by a swinging lantern, stood the form of a girl whose face was concealed² to the eyes by the folds of a dark mantle³. But the eyes were enough for David. He knew her at once.

 

“Halima!” he exclaimed. “Vy do you seek Davit?”

 

The girl drew a small box from her cloak.

 

“The gift of Maie,” she said.

 

“Maie! Bud, dey tell me Maie iss dead.”

 

“Of that I know nothing,” answered the slave girl, all unmoved. “It is nevertheless her gift. I have been seeking you since before midnight, and but now discovered you were at the palace. Take the casket; and, mark me: here is the spring that opens it.”

 

She drew the cloak around her again and with quiet, cat-like steps left the room.

 

David gazed after her with joy sparkling in his eyes.

 

“Id iss my luck!” he muttered, hugging the casket in an ecstasy⁴ of delight. “Id iss de luck of cleffer Davit! Efen de dead adds to my riches. Led me see—led me see if Maie iss generous.”

 

With trembling fingers he touched the spring, and as the lid flew back he leaned over and feasted his eyes upon the gems⁵ and gold that sparkled so beautifully in the dim light.

 

Then the silken purse attracted his attention. He drew it out, loosened the string, and thrust in his thumb and finger.

 

Next moment an agonized⁶ yell rang through the palace. With a jerk that sent the gold and jewels flying in every direction the Jew withdrew his finger, glaring wildly at an object that curled about it and clung fast. Then he dashed the thing to the floor, set his heel upon it and screamed again and again in mad terror.

 

The cries aroused those in the next room; the draperies were torn aside and the Khan entered, followed by Merad, Kasam and the Americans.

 

David lay writhing⁷ upon the floor, and even as they gazed upon him his screams died away and his fat body rolled over with a last convulsive shudder⁸.

 

“What has happened?” asked Kasam, bewildered—as, indeed, they all were.

 

The physician bent⁹ over and cautiously examined the crushed thing that had proved to be David’s bane.

 

“It is a mountain scorpion,” he said, “the most venomous creature in existence.”

 

Maie’s vengeance¹⁰ had survived her; but perhaps it mattered little to the dead girl that David’s punishment had been swift and sure.

1 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

2 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

3 mantle   

n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红

参考例句：

• The earth had donned her mantle of brightest green.大地披上了苍翠欲滴的绿色斗篷。
• The mountain was covered with a mantle of snow.山上覆盖着一层雪。

4 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

5 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

6 agonized   

v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦

参考例句：

• All the time they agonized and prayed. 他们一直在忍受痛苦并且祈祷。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She agonized herself with the thought of her loss. 她念念不忘自己的损失，深深陷入痛苦之中。 来自辞典例句

7 writhing   

（因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was writhing around on the floor in agony. 她痛得在地板上直打滚。
• He was writhing on the ground in agony. 他痛苦地在地上打滚。

8 shudder   

v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动

参考例句：

• The sight of the coffin sent a shudder through him.看到那副棺材，他浑身一阵战栗。
• We all shudder at the thought of the dreadful dirty place.我们一想到那可怕的肮脏地方就浑身战惊。

9 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

10 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。