Page:The Way of a Virgin.djvu/124

Rh ''Later, while on a journey, they are again separated by divers mischances, Kamar becoming an assistant to a gardener, while Budur, having adopted male garb to preserve her chastity, reaches the dominios of King Armanus. Here she is taken for a king's son, and Armanus, who is old, gives her his daughter Hayat al-Nufus in marriage and makes her lord of his kingdom. An embarassing situation now arises, Budur being unable to consummate the marriage or to explain her failure to the bride. Matters come to a crisis on the third night when Hay at speaks out. The text continues:—''

...Hayat al-Nufus caught her by the skirt and clung to her, saying:

"O my lord, art thou not ashamed before my father, after all his favour, to neglect me at such a time as this?"

When Queen Budur heard her words, she sat down in the same place and said:

"O my beloved, what is this thou sayest?"

She replied:

"What I say is that I never saw any so proud of himself as thou. Is every fair one so disdainful? I say not this to incline thee to me; I say it only of my fear for thee from King Armanus; because he purposeth, unless thou go in unto me this very night, and do away my maidenhead, to strip thee of the kingship on the morrow and banish thee his kingdom; and peradventure his excessive anger may lead him to slay thee. But I, O my lord, have ruth on thee and give thee fair warning; and it is thy right to reck."

Now when Queen Budur heard her speak these words, she bowed her head groundwards awhile in sore perplexity and said in herself: