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—Elsa ta Brabante, jena nordnalec li inti tipprova li m’intix hatia—xi tgheid ?
—Xein ma ngheid jena—uieġbet Elsa tolfok b’kalba, maksuma.
—Ghamel curaġġ—ragia kal is-Sultan—ghe- dilna is-seuua.
Elsa refghet ghaineigha lein is-Sema—rabtet ideigha u kalet :
—O hia!... mahbub hia!... u nfexxet f’bichia.
—Tchellem Elsa, ghedilna...
Cull min chien hemm chiser kalbu meta rau lill'Eisa b’dac id-dmuh niezel — Elsa allura ghamlet il curaġġ u b’lehen chemm chemm tin- stama uieġbet:
—X’nista ngheid jena?... dejjem uahdi... il- tima... ma naf il hatt... mdeika u mbicchia dejjem... sventurata... mis-Sema biss nistonna it hniena... rkadd darba u hlomt li jena ghad neun hienia ghalavolia jiccongiurau contra ti- ghi u jaccusauni biex jarauni mbati...
—Ipprova li mintix hatia !... ghamel curaġġ, kabes kal is-Sultan.
—Mischina !... kalu x’uhud.
—Iva, compliet tgheid Elsa, chien’ li f’dic il holma jena rait riesak lejja giuvni guerrier, il ġmiel tighu, dana rani hecc imbicchia tani idu, beda jicconsolani bi cliem l’actar helu u kalli :
