Haste he could towards the Village, not being able to conceive what should be the real Cause of the young Lady's being secur'd by those _Babylonish_ Officers, and as much at a Loss, at the same Time, what to think of such a Termagant and a Coquet. CHAP. IX. _The_ CAPTIVE. No sooner was _Zadig_ arriv'd at the _Egyptian_ Village before-mention'd, but he found himself surrounded by a Croud. The People one and all cried out! See! See! there's the Man that ran away with the beauteous Lady _Missouf_, and murder'd _Cletofis_. Gentlemen, said he, God forbid that I should ever entertain a Thought of running away with the Lady you speak of: She is too much of a Coquet: And as to _Cletofis_, I did not murder him, but kill'd him in my own Defence. He endeavour'd all he could to take my Life away, because I entreated him to take some Pity and Compassion on the beauteous _Missouf_, whom he beat most unmercifully. I am a Stranger, who am fled hither for Shelter, and 'tis highly improbable, that upon my first Entrance into a Country, where I came for Safety and Protection, I should be guilty of two such enormous Crimes, as that of running away with another Man's Partner, and that of clandestinely murdering him on her Account. The _Egyptians_ at that Time were just and humane. The Populace, tis true, hurried _Zadig_ to the Town-Goal; but they took care in the first Place to stop the Bleeding of his Wounds, and afterwards examin'd the suppos'd Delinquents apart, in order to discover, if possible, the real Truth. They acquitted _Zadig_ of the Charge of wilful and premeditated Murder; but as he had taken a Subject's Life away, tho' in his own Defence, he was sentenc'd to be a Slave, as the Law directed. His two Beasts were sold in open Market, for the Service of the Hamlet; What Money he had was distributed amongst the Inhabitants; and he and his Attendant were expos'd in the Market-place to public Sale. An _Arabian_ Merchant, _Setoc_ by Name, purchas'd them both; but as the Valet, or Attendant, was a robust Man, and better cut out for hard Labour than the Master, he fetch'd the most Money. There was no Comparison to be made between them. _Zadig_ therefore was a Slave subordinate to his Valet; they secur'd them both, however, by a Chain upon their Legs; and so link'd they accompanied their Master home. _Zadig_, as they were on the Road, comforted his Fellow-Slave, and exhorted him to bear his Misfortunes with Patience: But, according to Custom, he made several Reflections on the Vicissitudes of human Life. I am now sensible, said he, that my impropitious Fortune has some malignant Influence over thine; every Occurrence of my Life hitherto has prov'd strangely odd and unaccountable. In the first Place, I was sentenc'd to die at _Babylon_, for writing a short Panegyrick on the King, my Master. In the next, I narrowly escap'd being strangled, for the Queen his Royal Consort's speaking a little too much in my Favour; and here I