such things Layelah would have smiled me down into silence. The fact
is, it doesn't do for women to take the initiative--it's not fair. I
had stood a good deal among the Kosekin. Their love of darkness, their
passion for death, their contempt of riches, their yearning after
unrequited love, their human sacrifices, their cannibalism, all had
more or less become familiar to me, and I had learned to acquiesce in
silence; but now when it came to this--that a woman should propose to
a man--it really was more than a fellow could stand. I felt this at
that moment very forcibly; but then the worst of it was that Layelah
was so confoundedly pretty, and had such a nice way with her, that
hang me if I knew what to say.

Meanwhile Layelah was not silent; she had all her wits about her.

"Dear papa," said she, "would make such a nice husband for Almah. He
is a widower, you know. I could easily persuade him to marry her. He
always does whatever I ask him to do."

"But victims cannot marry, you said."

"No," said Layelah, sweetly, "they cannot marry one another, but Almah
may marry dear papa, and then you and I can be married, and it will be
all very nice indeed."

At this I started away.

"No," said I, indignantly, "it won't be nice. I'm engaged to be
married to Almah, and I'm not going to give her up."

"Oh, but she gives you up, you know," said Layelah, quietly.

"Well, but I'm not going to be given up."

"Why, how unreasonable you are, you foolish boy!" said Layelah, in her
most caressing manner. "You have nothing at all to do with it."

At this I was in fresh despair, and then a new thought came, which I
seized upon.

"See here," said I, "why can't I marry both of you? I'm engaged to
Almah, and I love her better than all the world. Let me marry her and
you too."

At this Layelah laughed long and merrily. Peal after peal of laughter,
musical and most merry, burst from her. It was contagious; I could not
help joining in, and so we both sat laughing. It was a long time
before we regained our self-control.

"Why, that's downright bigamy!" exclaimed Layelah with fresh laughter.
"Why, Atam-or, you're mad!" and so she went off again in fresh peals
of laughter. It was evident that my proposal was not at all shocking,
but simply comical, ridiculous, and inconceivable in its absurdity. It
was to her what the remark of some despairing beauty would be among us
who, when pressed by two lovers should express a confused willingn