Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/61

 For ever the mouth is blest that holdeth its own counsel.

Said the Narrator:

Now when the Princess Alia had made her petition to the Maker of the Heavens, and her deliverance had been wrought by Abu Zeyd with the slaying of her enemies, and he had said to her " Return and say no word of this to thy friends," she besought him, saying: "Nay, but by Him who commandeth all power, I will not return home until thou hast told me of thyself, who thou art and of what tribe and nation of the Arabs," But he said to her, "' Know, O Lady, that I am of the race of the Jinns and that our people are indeed Muslims obeying the Lord of the Universe, and I was sent to thee from the land of Syria to deliver thee from that traitor, who was of the children of crime." But she answered him, '* Yet are not the Jinns of thy quality. Rather tell me the truth. I adjure thee by Him who created thee and in whose shadow thou didst grow up, and who hath wrought blessings through thy hand." And being thus adjured he said, "O Alia, there were peril for me if I told thee truly all." But she answered, "Be not afraid. Though thou wert the Prince Abu Zeyd himself, the Helali, yet shouldst thou have security, ay, even he that great horseman." Then said he to her, "Stretch forth thy hand that we may make a covenant together, so shall God be our witness." And she said, ""As thou wilt." Then they made them a covenant