A line of yellow
chalk drawn from her forehead to the tip of her nose (which was further
ornamented by an immense glittering nose-ring), her eyelids painted
bright red, and a large dab of the same color on her chin, showed she
was not of the Mussulman, but the Brahmin faith--and of a very high
caste; you could see that by her eyes. My mind was instantaneously made
up as to my line of action.
The male attendants had of course quitted the apartment, as they heard
the well-known sound of her voice. It would have been death to them
to have remained and looked in her face. The females ranged themselves
round their mistress, as she squatted down opposite to me.
"And is this," said she, "a welcome, O Khan! after six months' absence,
for the most unfortunate and loving wife in all the world? Is this lamb,
O glutton! half so tender as thy spouse? Is this wine, O sot! half so
sweet as her looks?"
I saw the storm was brewing--her slaves, to whom she turned, kept up a
kind of chorus:--
"Oh, the faithless one!" cried they. "Oh, the rascal, the false one, who
has no eye for beauty, and no heart for love, like the Khanum's!"
"A lamb is not so sweet as love," said I gravely: "but a lamb has a good
temper; a wine-cup is not so intoxicating as a woman--but a wine-cup
has NO TONGUE, O Khanum Gee!" and again I dipped my nose in the
soul-refreshing jar.
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