Page:Stars of the Desert.djvu/117

 Thou hadst arranged to change with me, to say 'Stay thou Aziz, while I, Mir Khan, return To bring thee speedy succour from the fort. And if they find that thou art but Aziz, Aziz, the slave, and not the lord Mir Khan, They will not wrong thee, will not torture thee As they would torture me, the son of kings.'

"Further, Sher Afzul said thou, smiling, spak'st Saying, 'He loves me so, he will remain, Even with certain death confronting him.'

"Ay, but thou knew'st me well. He will remain! There was no need of any speech of thine To bid me stay. Am I not thine indeed For life or death? Oh, I am glad, Mir Khan! Glad that thou givest me this exquisite gift Even the gift of death,—death for thy sake.

"Thy beauty was ever a perfect thing to me, Gracious and free; to see thy luminous eyes Lit with the longing of thine ardent soul, Ablaze, like golden suns, in love or war, To touch thy feet, setting thy stirrup-irons, Or rest my lips upon thy drinking-cup, These were the joys of Aziz, serving thee, Living unnoticed with thee, in thy tents.

"Women have loved me, even me, Mir Khan, Not with the adoration given to thee, But with kind words, and gentle ways, that fell On my worn heart as rain on dusty flowers,— 105