Shortly after Amina entered carrying a seat, which she put down in the
middle of the empty space. She next went over to the door of a closet
and signed to the porter to follow her. He did so, and soon reappeared
leading two black dogs by a chain, which he brought into the centre of
the hall. Zobeida then got up from her seat between the Calenders and
the Caliph and walked slowly across to where the porter stood with the
dogs. "We must do our duty," she said with a deep sigh, pushing back
her sleeves, and, taking a whip from Sadie, she said to the man, "Take
one of those dogs to my sister Amina and give me the other."
The porter did as he was bid, but as he led the dog to Zobeida it
uttered piercing howls, and gazed up at her with looks of entreaty.
But Zobeida took no notice, and whipped the dog till she was out of
breath. She then took the chain from the porter, and, raising the dog
on its hind legs, they looked into each other's eyes sorrowfully till
tears began to fall from both. Then Zobeida took her handkerchief and
wiped the dog's eyes tenderly, after which she kissed it, then, putting
the chain into the porter's hand she said, "Take it back to the closet
and bring me the other."
The same ceremony was gone through with the second dog, and all the
while the whole company looked on with astonishment. The Caliph in
particular could hardly contain himself, and made signs to the vizir to
ask what it all meant. But the vizir pretended not to see, and turned
his head away.