LITMIR.BIZ

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eighteen, sister of the late Hadji-Ghafour. Aziz-Bey, the lover and fiancé of Sekiné-Khanoun. Zobeide, paternal aunt of Sekiné-Khanoun. Zeineb-Khanoun, mistress of the late Hadji-Ghafour. Aga-Abbas, brother of Zeineb. Aga-Selman, son of the sieve-maker, advocate of Sekiné-Khanoun. Aga-Meradan, son of the confectioner, advocate of Zeineb. Aga-Hassam, a merchant. Aga-Kerim, chief of the courtiers. Goul-Sebah, servant of Sekiné-Khanoun. The President of the Tribunal. Aga-Rehim, —Assessors of the Tribunal. Aga-Djebbar, Aga-Bechin, Aga-Settar, The Inspector of the Market. Hepou, —witnesses for Zeineb. Cheida, Qourban Ali, Hanife, Bedel, —soldiers, witnesses for Sekiné-Khanoun. Quhreman, Ghaffer, Nezer, The Chief of the Bailiffs. Eced, domestic to the President of the Tribunal. Nasser, a lackey. A seven months’ old infant.

THE MAGISTRATES

       Table of Contents

ACT FIRST

      Sekiné-Khanoun, sister of Hadji-Ghafour, is discovered standing before the window; she calls to her servant, Goul-Sebah.

      Sekiné-Khanoun. Goul-Sebah! Goul-Sebah!

      Goul-Sebah [entering the room]. Here I am, madame. What do you wish?

      Sekiné-Khanoun. Have you not heard of the trouble which my shameless sister-in-law is bringing upon me, Goul-Sebah?

      Goul-Sebah. No, madame. How could I hear about it?

      Sekiné-Khanoun. She has given notice to the President of the Tribunal that she objects to his paying over to me the money which my brother had placed in his hands for me. She claims that this sum should revert to her. Good heavens! Goul-Sebah, was ever such a case heard of? I do not know what sin I have committed against God, but things always fall out unluckily for me.

      Goul-Sebah. Whatever put such ideas in your head, madame? Why should things fall out unluckily for you?

      Sekiné-Khanoun. As you are aware, Goul-Sebah, I am desperately in love with Aziz-Bey. For two whole years did the unhappy youth in vain beseech my brother to give him my hand; my brother would not consent, because Aziz-Bey is the son of a heretic, and an officer of government. But now that my brother is dead, and I am free to dispose of my hand as I choose, I wish to enter into possession of the money which he has left me, to provide for my wants in peace, and to fulfil the vow of my heart. And lo and behold, this shameless sister-in-law has protested against the payment of the legacy! We must therefore have all the worry of a lawsuit.

      Goul-Sebah. Is it not a fact, madame, that your sister-in-law has no right to the legacy left by your brother?

      Sekiné-Khanoun. She certainly has none. What right could she have? She was not his lawful wife, that she should inherit his fortune. She has not even a child who could be co-heir to it! I do not really know why she has protested.

      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?

      Aziz-Bey. I can stand this no longer. You must send at once and call for your aunt, and let me with my own ears hear her declare that you shall never be the wife of Aga-Hassam, or else I must decide to kill Aga-Hassam this very day, and may I succeed in doing so! What is this Hassam? A shopkeeper! He wishes to step into my shoes, to pay court to my fiancée, and to cross my path, does he! By God, I will cut his heart out with this dagger.

      Sekiné-Khanoun. Very good. I will send to my aunt, and beg of her to come at once. Then I will tell her that I am not, and never will

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