“But I would buy pearls, Merchant, if you have such to sell,” said Janees.

“Then you must return this afternoon, Purchaser,” replied Asti, scanning his pale and haughty face, “for even if you were the King of Tat I would not sell to you out of my hours.”

“You speak high words, Woman,” exclaimed Janees angrily.

“High or low, they are what I mean,” answered Asti, and went away.

The end of it was that this King Janees returned at the evening hour, led thither more by a desire to hear that lovely voice again than to purchase gems.  Still he asked to see pearls, and Asti showed him some which he thrust aside as too small.  Then she produced those that were larger, and again he thrust them aside, and so it went on for a long while.  At length from somewhere in her clothing Asti drew two of the biggest that she had, perfect pearls of the size of the middle nail of a man’s finger, and at the sight of these the eyes of Janees brightened, for such gems he had never seen before.  Then he asked the price.  Asti answered carelessly that it was doubtless more than he would wish to pay, since there were few such pearls in the whole world, and she named a weight in gold that caused him to step back from her amazed, for it was a quarter of the tribute that he had taken from his new-conquered kingdom.

“Woman, you jest,” he said, “surely there is some abatement.”

“Man,” she answered, “I jest not; there is no abatement,” and she replaced the pearls in her garments.

Now he grew very angry, and asked: 

“Did you know that I am the King of Tat, and if I will, can take your pearls without any payment at all?”

“Are you?” asked Asti, looking at him coolly.  “I should never have guessed it.  Well, if you steal my goods, as you say you can, you will be King of Thieves also.”

Now those who heard this saying laughed, and the King thought it best to join in their merriment.  Then the bargaining went on, but before it was finished, at her appointed hour Tua began to sing behind the screen.

“Have done,” said the King to Asti, “to-morrow you shall be paid your price.  I would listen to that music which is above price.”

So Janees listened like one fascinated, for Tua was singing her best.  Step by step he drew ever nearer to the screen, though this Asti did not notice, for she was engaged in locking up her goods.  At length he reached it, and thrusting his fingers through the openings in the pierced woodwork, rested his weight upon it like a man who is faint, as perhaps he was with the sweetness of that music.  Then of a sudden, by craft or chance, he swung himself backward, and with him came the frail screen.  Down it clattered to the floor, and lo! beyond it, unveiled, but clad in rich attire, stood Tua sweeping her harp of ivory and gold.  Like sunlight from a cloud the bright vision of her beauty struck the eyes of the people gathered there, and seemed to dazzle them, since for a while they were silent.  Then one said: