AT THE GATES OF TASHBAAN "Mr name," said the girl at once, "is Aravis Tarkheena and I am the only daughter of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Rishti Tarkaan, the son of Kidrash Tarkaan, the son of Ilsombreh Tisroc, the son of Ardeeb Tisroc who was desded in a right line from the god Tash. My father is the lord of the province of Calavar and is one who has the right of standing on his feet in his shoes before the face of Tisroc himself (may he live for ever).
My mother (on whom be the peace of the gods) is dead and my father has married another wife. One of my brothers has fallen in battle against the rebels in the far west and the other is a child. Now it came to pass that my fathers wife, my step- mother, hated me, and the sun appeared dark in her eyes as long as I lived in my fathers house. And so she persuaded my father to promise me in marriage to Ahoshta Tarkaan. Now this Ahoshta is of base birth, though in these latter years he has won the favour of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) by flattery and evil sels, and is now made a Tarkaan and the lord of many cities and is likely to be chosen as the Grand Vizier when the present Grand Vizier dies.
Moreover he is at least sixty years old and has a hump on his bad his face resembles that of an ape. heless my father, because of the wealth and power of this Ahoshta, and being persuaded by his wife, sent messengers me in marriage, and the offer was favourably accepted and Ahoshta sent word that he would marry me this very year at the time of high summer.
"When this news was brought to me the sun appeared dark in my eyes and I laid myself on my bed a for a day. But on the sed day I rose up and washed my fad caused my mare Hwin to be saddled and took with me a sharp dagger which my brother had carried in the western wars and rode out alone. And when my fathers house was out of sight and I was e to a green open pla a certain wood where there were no dwellings of men, I dismounted from Hwin my mare and took out the dagger. Then I parted my clothes where I thought the readiest way lay to my heart and I prayed to all the
gods that as soon as I was dead I might find myself with my brother. After that I shut my eyes and my teeth and prepared to drive the dagger into my heart. But before I had done so, this mare spoke with the voice of one of the daughters of men and said, "O my mistress, do not by any mearoy yourself, for if you live you may yet have good fortu all the dead are dead alike.」
"I didnt say it half so well as that," muttered the mare.
"Hush, Maam, hush," said Bree, who was thhly enjoying the story. "Shes telling it in the grand ene manner and no story-teller in a Tisrocs court could do it better.
Pray go on, Tarkheena.」
"When I heard the language of men uttered by my mare," tinued Aravis, "I said to myself, the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me to delusions. And I became full of shame for none of my lineage ought to fear death more than the biting of a gnat. Therefore I addressed myself a sed time to the stabbing, but Hwin came o me and put her head iween me and the dagger and discoursed to me most excellent reasons and rebuked me as a mother rebukes her daughter. And now my wonder was so great that I fot about killing myself and about Ahoshta and said, `O my mare, how have you learo speak like one of the daughters of men? And Hwin told me what is known to all this pany, that i