The shadow of a third person now fell on the prison wall, unmarked by thos?e in the room. He c?am?e up and stoo?d by them. Af?ter standing still lik?e a ?s?tatue for a while,? he said in a voice faltering with p?assion,
"Princess!? this? is capital!"
Both raised their ?heads and s?aw?—Osman.
Osman had lear?nt the pa?rticulars from his follower, ?the bearer of th?e ring; a?nd had come in search of Ae?sha. On seeing Osman, the Prince became g?reatly apprehensive for the sake of Aesha, who might come by disgrace or reproof at th?e hands of Osm?an or of Katlu Khan himself; and that thi?s was more than probable, the angry tone in which Osman had made the taunt, rendered cle?arly manifes?t. Aesha understood the import of the remark as soon as it was made. For a mome?n?t o?nly her fair features grew crimson; but there was? no other sign of impatience.
"And wh?at is capita?l, Osman, I p?ra?y?"—asked she calmly.
"It is capital," said he in the same to?ne of raillery, "it is ca?pital for a Princess to be ?at nigh?t in the company of a pri?soner. Aye; it is capital for her ?also to enter the priso?n in perfect contempt of rule."
This was more than Aesh?a's spotless innocence could bear. Sh?e ri?vetted her eyes on Osman's face, and in such haughty accents as Osman never remembered to have heard before, said,
"It i?s my ?will to enter the prison alone at this dead hour of night—it i?s my will to? ?talk with the prisoner. You a?re no?t the man to? si?t in ??judgment on? the correctness or otherwise of my conduct."
Osman ?was a?mazed; he w?as still ?mor?e angry.
