Zulima took a rather heavy purse from her pocket. Stolburst insisted upon her putting up the money, and she complied.
“Tell me,” said the dark-skinned princess, “did you steal the Eye of Jobu?”
Her look seemed to her companion to pierce him through and through.
The explorer spoke with all the firmness he could command. There was an undefinable something about the girl that seemed to daze his faculties.
The thought more than once suggested itself to him. He had never experienced a like feeling when in her presence before.
Now Zulima looked even more fixedly at her companion. Again he replied in the negative.
“It was because I had a very slight doubt of your innocence that I came here,” remarked Zulima.
“False friend,” said the princess, and she trembled with emotion. “I have read your heart.”
“That you lie to me!” exclaimed Zulima, rising from her chair and drawing herself up to her full height.
The blood mounted to the roots of the explorer’s hair.
“Yes; I can no longer bear friendship for one who has so deeply injured my people.”
“Nonsense. Haven’t I told you I did not steal the diamond?”
“Yes; but your tongue spoke that which is false. Would that I could forget I ever knew you. If you would live, return that which you stole.”
“I tell you I did not steal the eye of the idol.”
“Then you obtained it from the thief,” she retorted.
“Zulima,” said Stolburst tenderly. “I love you as I might a daughter; do not let this foolish matter break our friendship.”
Stolburst saw that Ajeeb had, by working on the girl’s fear of the heathen god, completely won her.
“You know how to save yourself,” said Zulima coldly.
“But I cannot comply with his wishes,” answered Stolburst.
The man laughed, but his laugh was hollow and forced.
“Ajeeb seems to forget,” he said, “that he is in a civilized country. Here there are hundreds and hundreds of men to protect me. What is he and that demon Ashah against so many?”
“The priests of Jobu will prevail,” said the girl.
Stolburst trembled. Her words filled him with dread, for they seemed prophetic.
“I go,” added Zulima, “and I never want to see you again.”
She moved majestically from the apartment.
Stolburst thought of leaving the country. He dismissed the idea immediately after it was conceived. No matter where he went, he believed the Abyssinians would discover him. He was too well known a character both in Europe and America to long conceal his movements from being chronicled in the newspapers.