"My lord's slave comes every Friday after the custom of her family--she is of the blood of the divine Jâmi as doubtless my lord knows--to place flowers on the tomb of the now sainted Messer Ali-Shîr--may his ashes rest in peace--who is interred by his own wish in this garden, and who was her distant relative. But in life he was ever kind to this dust-like one, teaching her, and allowing her to be his disciple. So her litter comes hither often. It awaits her return yonder at the grave. Thus the letter was easy to deliver in person, and it is delivered. May God keep the King."
Faintly the figure moved as if to go; but Babar stepped a step forward. His head was in a whirl, his heart curiously steady.
"And has the cupola of chastity no word to say of herself?" he asked.
"What word is there to say, my lord?" came the quick reply. "I have performed my duty. The rest lies with my lord."
There was just a suspicion of raillery in the voice which spurred Babar to hardihood.
"Then I would fain know if--if she who thus deigns to honour me is satisfied with--with what she sees?"
"But yea! my lord, quite satisfied! And this is not the first time she has seen my lord. She was at the window when he made his entry to the town."
"Then the lady has doubly the advantage," said Babar with an irrepressible laugh. "Yet will I not ask her to make us equal and unveil. That were not meet at such a time and place."
There was just that faint suspicion of conscious virtue about the remark, but it was met promptly, coolly.
"Nor is there need. My lord would not be frightened at what he saw, as I, poor foolish child, was frightened. But I lived to be wiser. I lived to know that deformity of body is as naught before deformity of mind. But my lord has neither. Nor has this dust-like one. She is counted beautiful, and though she catalogues not her own charms, she hath two eyes, somewhat large, that look straight, a passable nose, thirty-two sound teeth, even and white, and a mouth that can say kind things harshly, and--an' it please my lord--harsh things kindly. Shall the recital proceed further, my lord?"