When she saw me looking at her， she put her forefinger to her mouth， then joined her middle and index fingers and laid them on her bosom， between her breasts； after which she drew in her head and shut the wicket. With this， fire broke out and raged in my heart； the glance I had of her cost me a thousand sighs and I abode perplexed， having heard no word from her and understanding not the meaning of her signs. I looked again at the window， but found it shut and waited till sundown but heard no sound and saw no one. When I despaired of seeing her again， I rose and taking up the handkerchief， opened it， whereupon there exhaled from it a scent of musk， which caused me such ease that meseemed I was in Paradise. Then I spread it out before me and there dropped from it a little scroll of paper. I opened the scroll， which was scented with a delicious perfume， and found written therein the following verses：
I sent my love a scroll， complaining of desire Writ in a fine，small hand； for writings vary still.
"Why is thy writing thus，" my lover said to me， "Attenuate and small， uneath to read and ill？"
Quoth I， "Because I too am wasted， ay， and thin. Thus should their writing be， who weary at Love"s will."
Then， casting my eyes on the beauty of the handkerchief， I saw embroidered on one of its borders the following verses：
The down of his whiskers writes （good luck to it for A scribe！）
Two lines， in the basil[FN#124] hand， on the table of his face.
O the wilderment of the moon at him， when he appears！ And O the shame of the branch at sight of his flexile grace！
And on the opposite border were the following verses：
The whiskers write upon his cheeks， with ambergris on pearl， Two lines， as "twere with jet upon an apple， line for line.
Death harbours in his languid eyes and slays with every glance；
And in his cheeks is drunkenness， and not in any wine.
When I read what was written on the handkerchief， the flames of love raged in my heart， and longing and trouble redoubled on me.
So I took the handkerchief and the scroll and went home， knowing no means to compass my desire， for that I was inexperienced in love affairs and unskilled in the interpretation of the language of signs used therein. The night was far spent before I reached my house， and when I entered， I found my cousin sitting weeping.
As soon as she saw me， she wiped away her tears and coming up to me， took off my （outer） clothes and asked me the reason of my absence， saying， "All the folk， amirs and notables and merchants and others， assembled here， and the Cadi and the witnesses came also at the appointed time. They ate and sat awhile， awaiting thy coming for the drawing up of the contract， till they despaired of thee， when they dispersed and went their ways. And indeed，" added she， "thy father was exceeding wroth， by reason of this， and swore that he would not celebrate our marriage till next year，for that he hath spent much money on this occasion. What hath befallen thee to make thee tarry till now？" "O my cousin，"
replied I， "do not ask me what hath befallen me." Then I told her all that had passed and showed her the handkerchief and the scroll. She took them and read what was written therein；
whereupon the tears ran down her cheeks and she repeated the following verses：
Who says to thee， the first of love is free， Tell him， not so；
but， on the contrary，"Tis all constraint， wherein no blame can be. History indeed attests this verity；
It does not style the good coin falsified.
Say， if thou wilt， the taste of pain is sweet， Or to be spurned by Fortune"s flying feet；
Of need or vengeance， fortune or defeat， With joy or dole it makes the heart to beat：
"Twixt phrase and counterphrase I"m stupefied.
But as for him whose happy days are light， Fair maids， whose lips with smiles are ever bright，Borne on the fragrant gales of their delight， Who hath his will，unhindered of despite，"Tis not with him A craven heart may bide.
Then she asked me what she said and what signs she made to me.
"She spoke not，" answered I； "but put her index finger to her mouth， then joining it to her middle finger， laid them both on her bosom and pointed in the ground， after which she drew in her head and shut the wicket and I saw her no more. She took my heart with her and I sat till sundown， expecting her to appear again at the window； but she came not： so， when I despaired of her， I rose and went home. This is my story， and I beg thee to help me in this my affliction." With this， she raised her face to me and said， "O my cousin， if thou soughtest my eye， I would tear it from its socket for thee， and I cannot choose but help thee to thy desire and her also to hers； for she is passionately enamoured of thee， even as thou of her." "And what is the meaning of her signs？" asked I. "As for the putting her finger to her mouth，" replied Azizeh， "it meant that thou art to her as her soul to her body and that she would bite upon union with thee with her wisdom-teeth. The handkerchief is the token of greeting from lover to beloved and the scroll is a sign that her heart is bound up in thee. As for the laying her two fingers between her breasts， it is as if she said to thee， "Return hither after two days， that the sight of thy countenance may dispel my anguish."
For know， O my cousin， that she loves thee and trusts in thee.
