saw on an elevated balcony a
young and lovely Christian girl. No sooner had the Sheikh seen her than
he became violently in love, and seemed to lose all regard for his
religious duties. His disciples tried to rouse him out of his perilous
state, but in vain. One said to him, "O thou knower of secrets, rise and
perform thy prayers." He replied, "My 'mihrab'[50] is the face of my
Beloved; only thither will I direct my prayers." Another said, "Dost
thou not repent? Dost thou not preserve any regard for Islam?" "No one,"
he said, "repents more deeply than I do for not having been in love
before." A third said, "Anyone with intelligence can see that though
thou wast our guide, thou hast gone astray." He answered, "Say what you
like, I am not ashamed; I break with a stone the vase of hypocrisy."

To many similar remonstrances he made similar replies. At last, finding
their efforts of no avail, his disciples left him. Lost in a kind of
stupor, he remained the whole night motionless before the balcony.

In the morning the young Christian came out, and seeing that he did not
got away, understood that he was in love. He poured out a passionate
appeal, when she would have dismissed him, and refused to depart. At
last she said, "If thou art really in earnest, thou must utterly wash
thy hands of Islam; thou must bow to idols,[51] burn the Koran, drink
wine, and give up thy religious observances." The Sheikh replied, "I
will drink wine, but I cannot consent to the three other conditions."
She said, "Rise, then, and drink; when thou hast drunk, thou mayest,
perchance, be able." Accordingly the Sheikh drank wine, and, having done
so, lost his senses entirely, complied with her requests, and became her
abject slave. He then said to her, "O charming maiden, what remains to
be done? I have drunk wine, I have adored idols; no one could do more
for love than I have done." She, though she began to requite his
affection, wishing still further to prove him, answered, "Go, then, and
feed my swine for a year, and then we will pass our lives together in
joy or in sorrow."

So this saint and great Sheikh consented to keep swine for a year. The
news of his apostasy spread all over Roum, and his disciples again came
to remonstrate with him, and said, "O thou who disregardest religion,
return with us again to the Kaaba." The Sheikh answered, "My soul is
full of sadness; go whither your desires carry you. As for me, the
Church is henceforth my place