第453章 The Horse And His Boy(43)

“And when we had talked together for a great time hope returned to me and I rejoiced that I had not killed myself. Moreover it was agreed between Hwin and me that we should steal ourselves away together and we planned it in this fashion. We returned to my father‘s house and I put on my gayest clothes and sang and danced before my father and pretended to be delighted with the marriage which he had prepared for me. Also I said to him， ’O my father and O the delight of my eyes， give me your licence and permission to go with one of my maidens alone for three days into the woods to do secret sacrifices to Zardeenah， Lady of the Night and of Maidens， as is proper and customary for damsels when they must bid farewell to the service of Zardeenah and prepare themselves for marriage.‘ And he answered， ’O my daughter and O the delight of my eyes， so shall it be.‘“But when I came out from the presence of my father I went immediately to the oldest of his slaves， his secretary， who had dandled me on his knees when I was a baby and loved me more than the air and the light. And I swore him to be secret and begged him to write a certain letter for me. And he wept and implored me to change my resolution but in the end he said， ’To hear is to obey，‘ and did all my will. And I sealed the letter and hid it in my bosom.”