Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/51

33 wit; and the young lady fell passionately in love with him and said in herself, ‘Would God he would consent to admit me into the Faith of Islam!’ And the tongue of her case recited the following verses:

She abode thus seven days, till her patience failed her and her breast was straitened and she threw herself at his feet, saying, ‘I conjure thee by thy faith, give ear unto my words!’ ‘What are they?’ asked he; and she said, ‘Expound unto me Islam.’ So he expounded to her the tenets of the Faith, and she became a Muslim, after which she purified herself and he taught her to pray. Then said she to him, ‘Know, O my brother, that I did but embrace Islam for thy sake and to win thy favour.’ Quoth he, ‘The law of Islam forbids sexual commerce between man and woman, save after a marriage before two legal witnesses, and a dowry and next friend [for the woman] are also requisite. Now I know not where to find witnesses or next friend or dowry; but, if thou canst make shift to bring us out of this place, I hope to win to the land of Islam, and I vow to thee that none other in Islam shall be wife to me than thou.’ ‘I will contrive this,’ answered she and calling her father and mother, said to them, ‘This Muslim’s heart is softened and he inclineth to enter our faith, so I will grant him that which he desireth of me; but he says, “It were not fitting for me to do this in a town where my brother was slain. Could I but come VOL. V.