The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-23


 night The next morning, when the Prin- cess set out, her way led through a wild country, where every now and then could be seen beside the road the single bam- hood staff with it's little white flag at the top, which indicated that on that spot some human being had been de- voured by tiger. The landscape was dreary and the heart of Lalla Rookh oppressed with sorrow. She knew that she ought not to admit Feramorz again to her pavilion, yet, when at last the tents were pitched for the night, she al- lowed the poet to attend her and he re- stunned the recital of his story. Fresh wood of aloes was set to burn in the cassolets, the violet sherbet was handed round and after short prelude on his lute to the pathetic measure of "Nava" (which is always used to express the lamentations of absent lovers) Feramorz continued his tale
 Fadladeen, whose indignation had more than once broken out in the course of the recitation of the hetero- dox poem, seemed at length to have made up his mind to the infiiction and sat with the patience of a martyr listening to the profane and sedftious story. The fact was that the cham berlain had resolved to make the heresy of the poet play into his own hands. He made metal notes of all the heterodox passages and stored them up for future use. When Cashmere was reached he would denouncs to King Aliris this seditious and heretical poet, and of Feramorz was not at once given the bastinado and Fadladeen some fat office then there would be, he feared, an end of all legitimate government in Bucharia. At length the party of Lalla Rookh reached the forbidden river be- yond which no true Hindoo must pass They were in the rich valley of Hussan Abdaul, where often the Light of Faith, the Sultan Jehan- Guire, had wandered with his adored Nourmahall, Light of would have rested forever. giving up the throne of Bucharia and the world for the companionship of Fefamorz. But the time was fast approaching-in fact. had come--when she must go on to her fate and teach her heart to forget the poet of her journey. She again. and this time peremptorily. denied Feramorz admission to her pavilion, and, filled with a great sadness, urged on hsr suite toward the place appointed for her meeting with her future husband.
 Days passed and she saw the poet no more. It was reported that he had left the camp. humiliated, they said. at the lack of appreciation which his verses had obtained. Haggard and worn with hope less love, Lalia Rookh set her face stead fly toward Cashmere, and finally de- scended with her glittering train into that delightful valley. Her ladies saw with regret that the beauty of their mistress of which they were almost as proud as their own, was fast vanishing away at the very time when she had most need of it. How would the King of Bucharia feel when. instead of the lively and beautiful Lalla Rookh, of whom the poets of Ielhi had sung, he should receive pale and inanimate victim, upon whose cheek neither health nor pleasure bloomed and
  itself fin her heart! Not even the delilhts of that enchanted valley, not the clol- ness of the atmosphere, nor the splen1or of minarets and pagodas. neither the countless waterfalls which rushed hto the region on all sides from the high md romantic mountains which encircled 1t; no, not the wonder of the fair city pm aH Uufh flowers, appeared in the distance like ne vast garden, could bring animation pr pleasure to the heart of Lalla Rookh.
 It was night when they approacfh the city and all the splendors which Dl- hi and Lahore had spread before hr could not compare with those with whh Cashmere welcomed the daughter Aurungzebe and the Queen of Buchart The marriage was fixed for the net morning, and with the early light tn trembling victim was conducted to th6 great palace beyond the lake, called tn Shalimar, where the Princess was ta meet for the first time her husband and her king. Though never in that happy valley had night of more wakeful and anxious thought been passed than that passed by Lalla Rookh, yet when her la- dies came around her in the morning they thought they had never seen her so beautiful What she had lost of the bloom and radiance of her charms was more than made up by that intellectual expression. that soul beaming from the eyes, which is worth all the rest of love- Illness. Lalla Rookh had suffered and en- dured and conquered
 They led her to the great and splendid palace and to the great hall. where the king descended from his throne to well come her. clad in the most gorgeous and magnificent attire. King Aliris held out his hand to the Princess. She looked up into his face and tainted at his feet. The poet Feramorz was Aliris the King. Fadladeen was only slightly disturbed at this discovery-for Fadladeen was . politician. He turned his coat 70 quickly that the king was half convinced inside of a week that his poetry had been praised and his person admired by the chamberlain. In fact, Fadladeen made the whole vale of Cashmere ring with his praises of the poet and the king. and se- cured the lucrative posts of Faster of sherbets Holder of the Girdle of Beauti- ful Forms, Grand Nazir of the Harem and Literary Adviser to His Majesty. Al for Lalla Rookh. though she and her king lived many years happy in each others love and society. she never called Aliris by any other name than Feramors.