Burlesques William Makepeace Thackeray

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fury to his cruel disposition, and served to steel a heart already but little disposed to
sentiments of mercy.
Three days after the sack and plunder of the place, Don Beltran was seated in the hall-court
lately occupied by the proud Alfaqui, lying in his divan, dressed in his rich robes, the
fountains playing in the centre, the slaves of the Moor ministering to his scarred and rugged
Christian conqueror. Some fanned him with peacocks' pinions, some danced before him,
some sang Moor's melodies to the plaintive notes of a guzla, one—it was the only daughter
of the Moor's old age, the young Zutulbe, a rosebud of beauty—sat weeping in a corner of
the gilded hall: weeping for her slain brethren, the pride of Moslem chivalry, whose heads
were blackening in the blazing sunshine on the portals without, and for her father, whose
home had been thus made desolate.
He and his guest, the English knight Sir Wilfrid, were playing at chess, a favorite
amusement with the chivalry of the period, when a messenger was announced from
Valencia, to treat, if possible, for the ransom of the remaining part of the Alfaqui's family.
A grim smile lighted up Don Beltran's features as he bade the black slave admit the
messenger. He entered. By his costume it was at once seen that the bearer of the flag of
truce was a Jew—the people were employed continually then as ambassadors between the
two races at war in Spain.
"I come," said the old Jew (in a voice which made Sir Wilfrid start), "from my lord the
Alfaqui to my noble senor, the invincible Don Beltran de Cuchilla, to treat for the ransom
of the Moor's only daughter, the child of his old age and the pearl of his affection."
"A pearl is a valuable jewel, Hebrew. What does the Moorish dog bid for her?" asked Don
Beltran, still smiling grimly.
"The Alfaqui offers 100,000 dinars, twenty-four horses with their caparisons, twenty-four
suits of plate-armor, and diamonds and rubies to the amount of 1,000,000 dinars."
"Ho, slaves!" roared Don Beltran, "show the Jew my treasury of gold. How many hundred
thousand pieces are there?" And ten enormous chests were produced in which the
accountant counted 1,000 bags of 1,000 dirhems each, and displayed several caskets of
jewels containing such a treasure of rubies, smaragds, diamonds, and jacinths, as made the
eyes of the aged ambassador twinkle with avarice.
"How many horses are there in my stable?" continued Don Beltran; and Muley, the master
of the horse, numbered three hundred fully caparisoned; and there was, likewise, armor of
the richest sort for as many cavaliers, who followed the banner of this doughty captain.