“When she went away, my father, Leila left me a leaf of cypress on which certain characters which I cannot decipher had been traced with the point of a style. It seems to be a kind of amulet.”
Monsieur Safrac took the light film which I held out to him and examined it carefully.
“This,” he said, “is written in Persian of the best period and can be easily translated thus:
“THE PRAYER OF LEILA, DAUGHTER OF LILITH
“My God, promise me death, so that I may taste of life. My God, give me remorse, so that I may at last find happiness. My God, make me the equal of the daughters of Eve.”
LAETA ACILIA
TO ARY RENAN