Page:The Way of a Virgin.djvu/120

Rh Now when Princess Budur saw him, she was seized by a transport of passion and yearning and love-longing, and she said to herself:

"Alas, my shame! This is a strange youth and I know him not. How cometh he to be lying by my side on one bed?"

Then she looked at him a second time and, noting his beauty and loveliness, said:

"By Allah, he is indeed a comely youth and my heart is well-nigh torn in sunder with longing for him! But alas, how am I shamed by him! By the Almighty, had I known it was youth who sought me in marriage of my father, I had not rejected him, but had wived with him and enjoyed his loveliness!"

Then she gazed in his face and said:

"O my lord and light of mine eyes, awake from sleep and take thy pleasure in my beauty and grace."

And she moved him with her hand; but Maymunah the Jinniyah let down sleep upon him as it were a curtain, and pressed heavily on his head with her wings so that Kamar al-Zaman awoke not. Then Princess Budur shook him with her hands and said:

"My life on thee, hearken to me; awake and up from thy sleep and look on the narcissus and the tender down thereon, and enjoy the sight of naked waist and navel; and touzle me and tumble me from this moment till break of day! Allah upon thee, O my lord, sit up and prop thee against the pillow and slumber not!"

Still Kamar al-Zaman made her no reply but breathed hard in his sleep. Continued she:

"Alas! Alas! thou art insolent in thy beauty