“‘But I can and dare,’ answered Abdallah, ‘and who shall prevent me? You shall soon learn that to your cost.’ “‘Neither can nor dare,’ repeated I. ‘We are here your father’s guests, and yours for a month and more, known as such, received as such. What have we done to justify a breach of the laws of hospitality in Nedjed? It is impossible for you to do what you say,’ continued I, thinking the while that it was a great deal too possible, after all; ‘the obloquy of the deed would be too much for you.’ “He remained a moment thoughtful, then said, ‘As if anyone need know who did it. I have the means, and can dispose of you without talk or rumor. Those who are at my bidding can take a suitable time and place for that, without my name being ever mentioned in the affair.’ “The advantage was now evidently on my side; I followed it up, and said with a quiet laugh, ‘Neither is that within your power. Am I not known to your father, to all in his palace? to your own brother Sa’ood among the rest? Is not the fact of this my actual visit to you known without your gates? Or is there no one here?’ added I, with a glance at Mahboob, ‘who can report elsewhere what you have just now said? Better for you to leave off this nonsense; do you take me for a child of four days old?’ “He muttered a repetition of his threat. ‘Bear witness, all here present,’ said I, raising my voice so as to be heard from one end of the room to the other, ‘that if any mishap befalls my companion or myself from Ri’ad to the shores of the Persian Gulf, it is all Abdallah’s doing. And the consequences shall be on his head, worse consequences than he expects or dreams.’ “The prince made no reply. All were silent; Mahboob kept his eyes steadily fixed on the fireplace; ’Abd-el-Lateef looked much and said nothing. “‘Bring coffee,’ called out Abdallah to the servants. Before a minute had elapsed, a black slave approached with one, and only one, coffee-cup in his hand. At a second sign from his master he came before me and presented it. “Of course the worst might be conjectured of so unusual and solitary a draught. But I thought it highly improbable that matters should have been so accurately prepared; besides, his main cause of anger was precisely the refusal of poisons, a fact which implied that he had none by him ready for use. So I said ‘_Bismillah_,’ took the cup, looked very hard at Abdallah, drank it off, and then said to the slave, ‘Pour me out a second.’ This he did; I swallowed it, and said, ‘Now you may take the cup away.’