o. In spite of this, however, we again
fell behind, and I noticed that this always happened when the reins
were drawn tight. On making this discovery I suddenly seized both
reins and let them trail loose, whereupon the athaleb at once showed a
perceptible increase of speed, which proved that there was no fatigue
in him whatever. This I said to Layelah.

She acquiesced with a sweet smile, and taking the reins again, she sat
around so as to face me, and said:

"You are very quick. It is no use to try to deceive you, Atam-or: I
wish to fall behind."

"Why?"

"To save you."

"To save me?"

"Yes. I can take you to the land of the Orin. Now is the time to
escape from death. If you go back you must surely die; but now, if you
will be guided by me, I can take you to the land of the Orin. There
they all hate death, they love life, they live in the light. There you
will find those who are like yourself; there you can love and be
happy."

"But what of Almah?" I asked.

Layelah made a pretty gesture of despair.

"You are always talking of Almah," said she. "What is Almah to you?
She is cold, dull, sad! She never will speak. Let her go."

"Never!" said I. "Almah is worth more than all the world to me."

Layelah sighed.

"I can never, never, never," said she, "get from you the least little
bit of a kind word--even after all that I have done for you, and when
you know that I would lie down and let you trample me under your feet
if it gave you any pleasure."

"Oh, that is not the question at all," said I. "You are asking me to
leave Almah--to be false to her--and I cannot."

"Among the Kosekin," said Layelah, "it is the highest happiness for
lovers to give one another up."

"I am not one of the Kosekin," said I. "I cannot let her go away--I
cannot let her go back to the amir--to meet death alone. If she dies
she shall see me by her side, ready to die with her."

At this Layelah laughed merrily.

"Is it possible," said she, "that you believe that? Do you not know
that if Almah goes back alone she will not die?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why, she can only die when you are in her company. She has lived for
years among us, and we have waited for someone to appear whom she
might love, so that we might give them both the blessing of death. If
that one should leave her, Almah could not receive the blessing. She
would be compelled to live longer, until some other lover should
appear. Now, by going with me to the land of