Not there?  Not there?  Why, there is no door beyond.  He must needs be there, and his chief spy with him.

Sheik [off]

He is not here.

Miralda [turning round and clawing the wall]

O, I was weary of him.  I was weary of him.

HAFIZ

Be comforted, pearl of the morning; he is gone.

MIRALDA

When I am weary of a man he must die.

[He embraces her knees.]

ZAGBOOLA [who has come on with a little crowd that followed the Bishareens.  She is blind.]

Lead me to Hafiz.  I am the mother of Hafiz.  Lead me to Hafiz. [They lead her near.] Hafiz!  Hafiz!

[She finds his shoulder and tries to drag him away.]

HAFIZ

Go!  Go!  I have found the sole pearl of the innermost deeps of the sea.

[He is kneeling and kissing MIRALDA’s hand.  ZAGBOOLA wails.]

Curtain

ACT IV

SCENE 1

Three years elapse.

Scene:  The street outside the Acacias.

Time:  Evening.

[Ali leans on a pillar-box watching.  John shuffles on L. He is miserably dressed, an Englishman down on his luck.  A nightingale sings far off.]

JOHN

A nightingale here.  Well, I never.

Al Shaldomir, Al Shaldomir,
The nightingales that guard thy ways
Cease not to give thee, after God
And after Paradise, all praise. . .

The infernal place!  I wish I had never seen it!  Wonder what set me thinking of that?

[The nightingale sings another bar.  John turns to his left and walks down the little path that leads to the door of the Acacias.]

I mustn’t come here.  Mustn’t come to a fine house like this.  Mustn’t.  Mustn’t.

[He draws near it reluctantly.  He puts his hand to the bell and withdraws it.  Then he rings and snatches his hand away.  He prepares to run away.  Finally he rings it repeatedly, feverishly, violently.

Enter Liza, opening the door.]

LIZA

Ullo, ’Oo’s this!

JOHN

I oughtn’t to have rung, miss, I know.  I oughtn’t to have rung your bell; but I’ve seen better days, and wondered if—­I wondered . . .

LIZA

I oughtn’t to ’ave opened the door, that’s wot I oughtn’t.  Now I look at you, I oughtn’t to ’ave opened it.  Wot does you want?

JOHN

O, don’t turn me away now, miss.  I must come here.  I must.