"Thou liest，" rejoined she. "By Allah， were she thy cousin， thou wouldst have loved her even as she loved thee！ It is thou who hast killed her， and may God in like manner kill thee！ By Allah，hadst thou told me thou hadst a cousin， I would not have admitted thee to my favours！" Quoth I， "Indeed， she is my cousin， and it was she who interpreted to me thy signs and taught me how to come at thee and how I should deal with thee； and but for her， I had never won to thee." "Did she then know of us？" asked she. "Yes，"
answered I； and she exclaimed， "God give thee sorrow of thy youth， even as thou hast wasted hers！" Then she said to me， "Go and see after her." So I went away， troubled at heart， and when I reached our street， I heard a sound of wailing， and asking about it， was answered， "We found Azizeh dead behind the door." I entered the house， and when my mother saw me， she said to me，"Her death lies at thy door， and may God not acquit thee of her blood！ Out on thee for a cousin！" Then came my father， and we laid her out and did her the last offices and buried her.
Moreover， we let make recitations of the Koran over her tomb and abode there three days， after which we returned home， grieving for her. When I entered the house， my mother came to me and said，"I would fain know what thou didst to her， to break her heart，for， O my son， I questioned her many times of the cause of her malady， but she would tell me nothing. So， God on thee， tell me what thou didst to her， that she died." Quoth I， "I did nothing."
"May God avenge her on thee！" rejoined my mother. "She told me nothing， but kept her secret till she died， of her affection for thee. But when she died， I was with her， and she opened her eyes and said to me， "O wife of my uncle， may God hold thy son guiltless of my blood and punish him not for that he hath done with me！ And now He transporteth me from this transitory house of the world to the other and eternal dwelling-place." "O my daughter，" said I， "God preserve thee and preserve thy youth！"
And I questioned her of the cause of her illness； but she made me no answer. Then she smiled and said， "O wife of my uncle， when my cousin is about to repair to the place whither he goes every day，bid him repeat these two words at his going away： "Faith is fair and perfidy foul." For this is of my tenderness over him， that I am solicitous for him in my lifetime and after my death." Then she gave me somewhat for thee and made me swear that I would not give it to thee， till I should see thee weeping for her and lamenting her death. The thing is with me， and when I see thee as I have said， I will give it to thee." "Show it me，" quoth I： but she would not. Then I gave myself up to my pleasures and thought no more of my cousin"s death； for I was light-witted and would fain have been with my beloved day and night. So hardly had the night fallen， when I betook myself to the garden， where I found the lady sitting on coals of fire， for much waiting. As soon as she saw me， she ran to me and throwing her arms about my neck，enquired of my cousin. "She is dead，" replied I； "and we have caused litanies and recitations of the Koran to be performed for her； and it is now four nights since she died." When she heard this， she shrieked aloud and wept， saying， "Did I not tell thee that thou hadst slain her？ Hadst thou let me know of her before her death， I would have requited her the kindness she did me， in that she served me and brought thee to me； for but for her， we had never come together； and I fear lest some calamity befall thee by reason of thy sin against her." Quoth I， "She acquitted me before she died." And I repeated to her what my mother had told me. "God on thee，" rejoined she， "when thou returnest to thy mother， learn what it is she hath for thee." Quoth I， "My mother also said to me， "Before thy cousin died， she laid a charge upon me， saying， "When thy son is about to go whither of wont， teach him these two words， "Faith is fair and perfidy foul."" When my mistress heard this， she exclaimed， "The mercy of God the Most High be upon her！ Indeed， she hath delivered thee from me， for I had it in mind to do thee a mischief， but now I will not hurt thee nor trouble thee." I wondered at this and said to her， "What then didst thou purpose to do with me， and we lovers？" Quoth she，"Thou art infatuated with me； for thou art young and witless； thy heart is free from guile and thou knowest not our perfidy and malice. Were she yet alive， she would protect thee， for she is the cause of thy preservation and hath delivered thee from destruction. And now I charge thee that thou speak not with neither accost any of our ***， young or old， for thou art young and ****** and knowest not the wiles of women and their malice，and she who explained the signs to thee is dead. And indeed I fear for thee， lest thou fall into some calamity and find none to deliver thee from it， now that thy cousin is dead. Alas， the pity of her！ Would God I had known her before her death， that I might have visited her and requited her the fair service she did me！
