now the truth is known. You are certainly the man who has
most right to the daughter of your uncle. It is therefore our best
course to present ourselves in a body and prostrate ourselves before
him, asking him to return to his family and not to give his daughter to
a stranger." Khaled, without hearing any more, took with him a hundred
of his bravest horsemen, being those who had been brought up with
Moharib and Zahir from their childhood, and, having provided themselves
with presents even more costly than those they had taken before, they
started off, and marched on until they came to the tribe of Saad. Khaled
began by complimenting his uncle on his happy return from war, but no
one could be more astonished than Zahir at this second visit, especially
when he saw his nephew accompanied by all the chieftains of his family.
It never for a moment occurred to him that his daughter Djaida had
anything to do with Khaled's return, but thought that his nephew merely
wished to persuade him to return to his native territory. He offered
them every hospitality, provided them with tents and entertained them
magnificently. He ordered camels and sheep to be killed, and gave a
banquet; he furnished his guests with all things needful and proper for
three days. On the fourth day Khaled arose, and after thanking his uncle
for all his attentions, asked him for his daughter in marriage, and
begged him to return to his own land. Zahir denied that he had any child
but his son Djonder, but Khaled told him all that he had learned, and
all that had passed between himself and Djaida. At these words Zahir was
overcome with shame and turned his eyes to the ground. He remained for
some moments plunged in thought, and after reflecting that the affair
must needs proceed from bad to worse, he addressed those present in the
following words: "Kinsmen, I will no longer delay acknowledging this
secret; therefore to end the matter, she shall be married to her cousin
as soon as possible, for, of all the men I know, he is most worthy of
her." He offered his hand to Khaled, who immediately clasped it in
presence of the chiefs who were witnesses to the contract. The dowry was
fixed at five hundred brown black-eyed camels, and a thousand camels
loaded with the choicest products of Yemen. The tribe of Saad, in the
midst of which Zahir had lived, were excluded from all part in this
incident.

But when Zahir had asked his daughter's consent to this arrangement,
Djai