The door was at once opened, and Mahommed, with a cry,
drew her inside.
"Zaida--the peace of God be upon thee," he said, and gazed lovingly yet
sadly upon her, for she had greatly changed.
"And upon thee peace, Mahommed," she answered, and sat upon the floor,
her head upon her breast.
"Thou hast trouble at," he said, and put some cakes of dourha and a
meated cucumber beside her. She touched the food with her fingers, but
did not eat. "Is thy grief, then, for thy prince who gave himself to the
lions?" he asked.
"Inshallah! Harrik is in the bosom of Allah. He is with Fatima in the
fields of heaven--was I as Fatima to him? Nay, the dead have done with
hurting."
"Since that night thou hast been lost, even since Harrik went. I searched
for thee, but thou wert hid. Surely, thou knewest mine eyes were aching
and my heart was cast down--did not thou and I feed at the same breast?"
"I was dead, and am come forth from the grave; but I shall go again into
the dark where all shall forget, even I myself; but there is that which I
would do, which thou must do for me, even as I shall do good to thee,
that which is the desire of my heart.
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