postures does he assume?'

"On hearing the sound of her laughter, I became alarmed. The princess
advanced, and asked me, 'O Persian, what wast thou doing?' I could make
no reply, on which the nurse said, 'May I take [the responsibility of]
thy evils, and become thy sacrifice, it appears to me that this man is
a _Musalman_, and the enemy of _Lat_ and _Manat_; [326] he worships an
unseen God. The princess immediately on hearing this struck her hands
together, and said in great wrath, 'I did not know he was a Turk,
[327] and an unbeliever in our gods, for which reason he had fallen
under the wrath of our idol. I have erroneously saved him and kept
him in my house,' Saying this she went away. On hearing [her words]
I became disturbed, [and alarmed to know] how she would now behave
to me. Through fear, sleep was driven from me, and until morning I
continued to weep, and to bathe my face with tears.

"I passed three days and nights, weeping in this fear and hope. I never
shut an eye [during this time.] The third night, the princess came to
my apartment flushed with the intoxication of wine, and the nurse along
with her. She was full of anger; and with a bow and arrows in her hand,
she sat down outside of the room, on the border of the _chaman_;
[328] she asked the nurse for a cup of wine, and after drinking
it off, she said, 'O nurse! is that Persian who is involved in our
great idol's wrath, dead, or does he yet live?' The nurse answered,
'May I bear your evils! some life still remains,' The princess said,
'He has now fallen in my estimation; but tell him to come out.' The
nurse called me; I ran forth and perceived that the princess's face
glowed through anger, and had become quite red. My soul remained not in
my body; I saluted her, and having joined both my hands together, stood
before her [in silent respect.] Giving me a look of anger, she said to
the nurse, 'If I kill this enemy of our faith with an arrow, will the
great idol pardon my guilt or not? I have already committed a great
crime by having kept him in my house, and by supplying [his wants.]'

"The nurse answered, 'What is the princess's guilt? you did not in the
least know him to be an enemy when you kept him [in your house;] you
took compassion upon him, and you will receive good for the good you
have done; and this man will receive from the great idol the reward of
the evil which he has done.' On hearing these words, the princess said,
'Nurse, tell him to sit