ese words, I went to the dome, and saw a respectable old
man, with a white beard, and well dressed, seated on a _masnad_, and
the deer lying before him; he was drawing the arrow from its thigh,
and uttering imprecations [on the shooter]. I made him my _salam_, and
joining my hands together, I said, "Respectable sir, I have unknowingly
committed this fault; I did not know it [was your deer]; for God's
sake pardon me." He answered, "You have hurt a dumb animal; if you
have committed this cruel act through ignorance, God will forgive
you." I sat down near him, and assisted him in extracting the arrow;
we pulled it out with great difficulty; and having put some balsam to
the wound, we let [the deer] go. We then washed our hands, and the old
man gave me some food to eat, which was then ready; after satisfying
my hunger and thirst, I stretched myself out on a four-footed bedstead.

After having fed well, I slept soundly through fatigue. In that sleep,
the noise of weeping and lamentation struck my ears; rubbing my eyes,
when I looked round, then neither the old man nor any one else was
in that apartment. I lay alone on the bed, and the room was quite
empty. I began to look with alarm in all directions, and perceived a
_parda_ in a corner which was down; going to it, I lifted it up, and
saw that a throne was placed there, on which was seated an angelic
woman of about fourteen years of age; her face was like the moon,
and her ringlets on both sides [of her head] hung loose; she had a
smiling countenance; and she was dressed like a European, and with
a most charming air; she was seated [on the throne] and looking
forward. The venerable old man lay prostrate before her, with his
head on her feet, and he was weeping bitterly, and he seemed to have
lost his senses. On seeing the old man's condition, and the woman's
beauty and perfection, I was quite lost, and having become lifeless,
I fell down like a corpse; the old man seeing my senseless state,
brought a bottle of rose water, and began to sprinkle it over my
face; when I recovered, I got up, and went up to the angelic woman
and saluted her; she did not in the least return my salute, nor did
she open her lips. I said, "O lovely angel, in what religion is it
right to be so proud, and not to return a salute.

"'Although to speak little is becoming, yet not so much so;
If the lover is dying, even then she would not open her lips.'

For the sake of Him who hath created