So I, Abk-Allâh, said, "I am.”

Then the old man continued, " I require for her a thousand bracelets of red gold, and five thousand dirhems of the best stamped silver money, and a hundred garments of striped and damasked stuffs, and five skins of ambergris."

I said, "You shall have it. But what was her answer?"

Yes, assuredly."

He replied, "Yes, assuredly." On hearing which, I sent off men of the el-Ansâry to el-Medînah-elMunawwarah, and they brought the whole of what had been promised. Then they killed of the flocks and

* Medînah means in the abstract, city or town. But when the inhabitants of Yathreb received Muhammad, and acknowledged his mission, they changed this name to el-Medînah—the city par excellence. It has, however, many affixes-such as, Medînahen-Náby, the City of the Prophet; el-Medînah-el-Munáwwarah, the Enlightened or Illuminated City. This latter title is said by Muslims to have been given for the following reason: above the chamber in which are the tombs of the Prophet and his successors, Abu-Bekr and 'Omar, is a green dome, surmounted by a gilt crescent springing from a series of globes. They believe (according to Mr. Burton) that a pillar of heavenly light crowns this crescent, and can be seen by the pilgrims at three days' distance. My sheikh, however, who at my request made inquiries upon this subject amongst those most lately arrived from el-Medînah, brought back word that the light resembles the morning star, and can be seen from afar, but not at the distance of three days' journey.

the herds, and people assembled to partake of the feast, which lasted for forty days. Then the father

said, "Take your damsel." So we mounted her in a litter, and loaded thirty camels with her goods, and set off and departed. And we travelled until there remained between us and el-Medînah-el-Munawwarah but one day's journey, when lo! horsemen in search of plunder came out against us, and I believe that they were of the Benu-Salîm. And 'Utbah-ibn-Khabâb charged them, and slew many of the men, and turned to withdraw. But he had received a spear-thrust, and fell to the ground. And help came to us from the inhabitants of that part of the country, who drove the horsemen away. But verily the days of 'Utbah were accomplished, and we cried, "Alas, O 'Utbah !"

Then we heard the girl exclaim, "Alas, O'Utbah!" and she flung herself from the top of her camel, and threw herself upon his body, and began wailing aloud, and reciting passionately these lines:

I feigned patience, but in impatience. And that my soul
Has no right to live after thee is its one consolation.

Had it rightly acted, truly 'twould have died

With those who have preceded, before thy death.

After us will none be found who thus share friendship,
Nor among souls, a responsive soul.

Then she sobbed one sob, and her spirit passed away. And we dug a single grave for them both, and covered them with earth, and I returned to the land of my people, where I remained seven years. Then I made up my mind to go again to the el-Hijâz, and as I had determined to visit el-Medînah-el-Munáwwarah, I said, "Verily I will go again and look at 'Utbah's grave." So I went to the tomb, and lo! I found a tree with streamers, red and yellow and green, upon it. And I asked the people living thereabouts, "What is the history of this tree?"

And they answered, "It is the tree of the betrothed lovers."

And I stayed a day and a night at the tomb, and then departed; and that was the last I saw of it.

A

ANOTHER SAD LOVE STORY.

ND resembling the foregoing tale concerning love and the concealment of passion, together with the plain proof of its discovery, is the following story, which a certain person of those who are well-to-do used to relate.

One day while sitting in my house, behold! a servant came in bringing a letter, and said, “A man at the door gave me this." So I opened it, and behold! it contained the following lines:

Grief is far from thee, and thou hast attained happiness,
And the King of all has withdrawn thee from sorrows.
And in thy hands, wouldst thou bestow it, is the balm
For my soul, and members sick through wounds.

So I exclaimed, “A lover, by Allâh!" and said to the servant, "Go out and bring him to me." And he went out, but saw no one: and this behaviour astonished me.

So I summoned all the slave-girls, both those who

went out of doors and those who stayed at home, and questioned them about it. But as they all vowed that they knew nothing whatever of the history of the letter, I said, "I am not making this inquiry through jealousy of him who loves one amongst you; but that she who knows anything of his case may be a gift from me to him, with all that she has and a hundred dinârs." Then I wrote an answer, thanking the writer for his letter, and begging his acceptance of his beloved, which letter I placed beside the house with a hundred dinârs. And I proclaimed, "Whoso knoweth aught of this, let him take it."

But the letter and the money remained for days, and no one took them away. And I was vexed about it, and said, "He has been satisfied by the sight of her whom he loves." So I forbade those of the slavegirls whose business took them abroad from leaving the house.

And only a day or so had passed, when lo! the servant came to me bringing with him a letter. And he said, "This has been sent to you by one of your friends." So I said, "Go out, and bring him in to me;" and he went out, but found no one. Then I opened the letter, and behold! it contained these lines: