GOUL-SEBAH. Do not trouble your head about it, madame. Please God, nothing will be done against you. But make one promise to your servant; I will pray God to bring out your business well, and to grant that you may soon reach the goal of your desires. SEKINÉ-KHANOUN. What is your desire? What promise do you wish me to make to you? GOUL-SEBAH. Promise me, when this affair is settled, by the favor of God, and you have come into possession of your fortune, promise me to defray the expenses of my wedding and to give me a husband. What could I desire beside that? SEKINÉ-KHANOUN. Very well. Do you pray to God that our lawsuit may be quickly ended, and I will give a husband to you also. But start at once, and go to the house of Aziz-Bey, and tell him to come to me; I wish to see what he says about all this. The President of the Tribunal has induced me to ask an advocate to plead my cause. But I have no one in this country excepting Aziz-Bey, and a paternal aunt--and she is, of course, a woman, and what can a woman do for me? GOUL-SEBAH [_she goes out and at once returns_]. Madame, here comes Aziz-Bey himself at the very nick of time. [_Sekiné-Khanoun closes the window and Aziz-Bey enters the room._] =Scene II= AZIZ-BEY [_abruptly_]. See what a mess you have led me into, Sekiné. SEKINÉ-KHANOUN [_with surprise_]. I! What mess have I led you into? But, tell me, what has happened that you seem so vexed and gloomy? AZIZ-BEY. Listen to me, Sekiné. You know that two years ago, just as I left school, I fell sick with love for you, so that I had no longer strength to leave the house, although your brother ill-treated me, and made every effort to separate us two. During this whole time, I have proved constant, and have put up with his harshness. My love, so far from being cooled, has grown from day to day, and in the hope that sooner or later we should be united, I have patiently endured all sorts of outrage and persecutions. Meanwhile the moment of our union seemed to be near, and my thoughts became somewhat more cheerful, and I enjoyed a little more peace of mind--and now I learn that I am again to be plunged into misfortune! SEKINÉ-KHANOUN. What do you say? Speak more plainly, that I may understand your meaning. I do not comprehend you. AZIZ-BEY. How is it you do not comprehend? Are you not aware that yesterday, Aga-Hassam, the merchant, has sent the wife of the head of the Traders’ Company, that of the mayor, and that of Bagis, the lawyer, to the house of your aunt, to demand your hand of her? Your aunt has given her word in assent. SEKINÉ-KHANOUN. But my aunt talks nonsense! Who pays any attention to her words?