Solomon thrust him gently aside with the solicitude of a mother removing some buzzing insect from her child’s cradle, and, making a sign to enjoin silence, added in a low voice, “She is neither dead nor poisoned.  Some philtre has been given to her for a bad purpose.  Her breathing is even, and she cannot fail to recover from her lethargy.”

Gabriel, reassured about Nisida’s life, returned silently to the ground floor where he had left the seducer.  His manner was grave and gloomy; he was coming now not to rend the murderer of his sister with his hands, but to elucidate a treacherous and infamous mystery, and to avenge his honour which had been basely attacked.  He opened wide the double entrance door that admitted daylight to the apartment in which, on the few nights that he spent at home, he was accustomed to sleep with his father.  The rain had just stopped, a ray of moonlight pierced the clouds, and all at once made its way into the room.  The fisherman adjusted his dripping garments, walked towards the stranger, who awaited him without stirring, and after having gazed upon him haughtily, said, “Now you are going to explain your presence in our house.”

“I confess,” said the prince, in an easy tone and with the most insolent assurance, “that appearances are against me.  It is the fate of lovers to be treated as thieves.  But although I have not the advantage of being known to you, I am betrothed to the fair Nisida—­with your father’s approval, of course.  Now, as I have the misfortune to possess very hardhearted parents, they have had the cruelty to refuse me their consent.  Love led me astray, and I was about to be guilty of a fault for which a young man like you ought to have some indulgence.  Furthermore, it was nothing but a mere attempt at an abduction, with the best intentions in the world, I swear, and I am ready to atone for everything if you will agree to give me your hand and call me your brother.”

“I will agree to call you a coward and a betrayer!” replied Gabriel, whose face had begun to glow, as he heard his sister spoken of with such impudent levity.  “If it is thus that insults are avenged in towns, we fishers have a different plan.  Ah! so you flattered yourself with the thought of bringing desolation aid disgrace into our home, and of paying infamous assassins to come and share an old man’s bread so as to poison his daughter, of stealing by night, like a brigand, armed with a dagger, into my sister’s room, and of being let off by marrying the most beautiful woman in the kingdom!”

The prince made a movement.

“Listen,” continued Gabriel:  “I could break you as I broke your dagger just now; but I have pity on you.  I see that you can do nothing with your hands, neither defend yourself nor work.  Go, I begin to understand; you are a braggart, my fine sir; your poverty is usurped; you have decked yourself in these poor clothes, but you are unworthy of them.”