The Sentence
had been like a cloud upon her mind ever since her father had passed it;
she could not endure the thought of it. She could not bring herself to
speak of it--to denounce him. Sooner or later the Sentence would reach
every Romany everywhere, and Jethro would pass into the darkness of
oblivion, not in his own time nor in the time of Fate. The man was
abhorrent to her, yet his claim was there. Mad and bad as it was, he made
his claim of her upon ancient rights, and she was still enough a Romany
to see his point of view.
Getting to her feet slowly, she ignored Jethro, looked into the face of
the crowd, and said:
"I am the daughter of the Ry of Rys still, though I am a Romany no
longer. I made a pledge to be no more a Romany and I will keep it; yet
you and all Romany people are dear to me because through long generations
the Druses have been of you. You have brought me here against my will. Do
you think the Ry of Rys will forgive that? In your words you have been
kind to me, but yet you have threatened me. Do you think that a Druse has
any fear? Did a Druse ever turn his cheek to be smitten? You know what
the Druses are. I am a Druse still. I will not talk longer, I have
nothing to say to you all except that you must take me back to my father,
and I will see that he forgives you.
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