"Where wilt thou sleep, Saadat ?" he asked.
"The pasha will sleep yonder," David replied, pointing to another room.
"I will sleep here." He laid a hand upon the couch where he sat.
Nahoum rose and, salaaming, followed Mahommed to the other room.
In a few moments the house was still, and remained so for hours.

Just before dawn the curtain of Nahoum's room was drawn aside, the Armenian entered stealthily, and moved a step towards the couch where David lay.
Suddenly he was stopped by a sound.

He glanced towards a corner near David's feet.

There sat Mahommed watching, a neboot of dom-wood across his knees.
Their eyes remained fixed upon each other for a moment.

Then Nahoum passed back into his bedroom as stealthily as he had come.
Mahommed looked closely at David.