Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/73

 my desire was that I should remain secret, and behold thou wouldst make all things known." But she: "What matter? Fear nothing, for the souls of all of us are thine, and no harm shall befall thee, and we are a ransom for thee." So she brought him with her and set him on a throne of gold by her side. And, when the daughters of the Arabs saw that, they looked the one at the other and whispered among themselves. And the Emir Abu Zeyd wept aloud and lamented. And Alia perceived that he was weeping, and asked of him the cause. And he said, "It is by reason that they speak lightly of us." But she said to the damsels, " This gentleman hath saved me from an evil death, and ye do not well to laugh. And an honourable man is he, nor would he do aught worthy of blame." And at that, the minds of the young girls were set at rest, and they said to her, "Were we in thy place so would we also do." And Abu Zeyd was comforted, knowing that they would keep all things secret.

And the Narrator began to sing:

Saith the hero Abu Zeyd the Hejazi Salame, When I entered the camp and the tribe, and stood in their midst the dwellers. And the day dawned in the heaven, and my prayer had been repeated. Then came Alia greeting and bade me a fair morning. And I gave her back the salute, the noble daughter of Jaber.