    # File temp/element.rb, line 553
        def attribute( name, namespace=nil )
          prefix = nil
          if namespaces.respond_to? :key
            prefix = namespaces.key(namespace) if namespace
          else
            prefix = namespaces.index(namespace) if namespace
          end
          prefix = nil if prefix == 'xmlns'

          ret_val =
            attributes.get_attribute( "#{prefix ? prefix + ':' : ''}#{name}" )

          return ret_val unless ret_val.nil?
          return nil if prefix.nil?

          # now check that prefix'es namespace is not the same as the
          # default namespace
          return nil unless ( namespaces[ prefix ] == namespaces[ 'xmlns' ] )

          attributes.get_attribute( name )

        end