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By it, at its end,
was a vessel like a font cut in carved stone, also full of pure water.
The place was softly lit with lamps formed out of the beautiful vessels
of which I have spoken, and the air and curtains were laden with a
subtle perfume. Perfume too seemed to emanate from the glorious hair and
white-clinging vestments of _She_ herself. I entered the little room,
and there stood uncertain.
"Sit," said _She_, pointing to the couch. "As yet thou hast no cause to
fear me. If thou hast cause, thou shalt not fear for long, for I shall
slay thee. Therefore let thy heart be light."
I sat down on the foot of the couch near to the font-like basin of
water, and _She_ sank down softly on to the other end.
"Now, Holly," she said, "how comest thou to speak Arabic? It is my own
dear tongue, for Arabian am I by my birth, even 'al Arab al Ariba' (an
Arab of the Arabs), and of the race of our father Yarab, the son of
Kahtan, for in that fair and ancient city Ozal was I born, in the
province of Yaman the Happy.


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