Hajj monologue (Act 3) — Kismet : $b An "Arabian night" in three acts

(_Breathless and fervently._) O Allah mine, thou hast given me this hour. Behold my sacrifice to thee. At last, at last, I am avenged! Avenged! (_Laughing bitterly._) But my Marsinah!—Oh spare her, O Lord of justice, spare her from Mansur and the horror of his harim. (_A thought striking him._) The harim! Kut-al-Kulub! The Wife of wives! Even now she is waiting for me! If I could reach her! She’d help me to save Marsinah! She’d— (_He goes to the door pounding on it desperately._) Free! Free! Free!—(_He stops and turns hopelessly._) Madness! (_Looking at JAWAN’S body._) They’ll find him the moment the litter comes, and then—(_With sudden inspiration._) The litter! Allah! Dost Thou open the door of escape? Dost Thou? (_Wildly._) Ha! Ha! Ha! If it succeed! If it succeed! (_He goes into the corner to the body._) The cloak! The turband! The purse! In his sleeve,—his breast? (_He comes across the chain on his breast._) The chain! The broken hand of Fatimah! (_Imitating JAWAN._) “I shall see my son again! I shall find him!” Wilt thou? (_He takes off the chain._) Wilt thou? (_Putting it over his own neck._) Hang thou here on my neck now thou broken hand of Fatimah! I shall find him, so Allah will it. I shall! Ha! (_He finds the purse and chinks it._) Fifty dinars! For the gaoler! Good! Now off with thy cloak. What? (_He stops and listens._) Nothing. Nothing. Keep thine eyes cool and clear, O Hajj. Cool and clear. (_He returns to the body._) So! So! _Thou_ shalt play the Moorman now, O my king. Dead. Ha! Ha! Thou art dead, dost thou hear? And yet, O dead one, ’tis thou shalt draw me out of my grave—me thy slayer! (_He drags the body to where he lay fainting when the gaoler went out and covers it with his own cloak._) So! Lie thou there! Quiet! Budge not, I pray thee. Faint! (_He turns to JAWAN’S cloak and turband._) Now for mine own beautifying! (_As he picks up the garments he sees the knife which he discarded._) The knife! Luck’s written on the blade. (_He puts the knife into his belt._) Luck! So be it. Luck shall carry me into the street. Luck let me leap from the litter! Luck bring me to the harim and to thee, O my Marsinah, O my——(_The door outside is unlocked._)