SHALLS FROID AN LASTIERN QU TV TR,

dark as the story was concluded, then he asked—

“And, 1t he lived not, would-t thou accept the half of my throne*' The princess shook her head negatively as she replied—

“oI could not, for I would lament him

many years ; my heart even tells me that, it

evil befell him, I should die.’

So the king de- parted from her presence, and plotted with the princes to take the mountaineer’s life. Although Haifiz, as he was called, dared not pass through the ravine, because ot his rivals, yet by stealth he would visit Idaliah. Lithe and active, he climbed down the rocky slope Dbe- tween two of thce palaces ; a jutting piece of stone, the slight support of a young tree, any- thing that hecould grasp was suffi- cient for him, for was not this peri- lous pathway that which led to the palace where the licht of love shone for him alone in the eyes of Ida- ltah." Hassan paused for a mo- ment 3 then his voice grew softer and his eyes moist as he sorrowfully continued—

“ Now the princess used to place a light in the window of the highest apartment of her palace, and the rivals of Haifiz discov- ered thissignal to the lover that all was safe for his venture. They observed the way in which he had hitherto escaped their am- bushes, and at last had him in their power. One night Idaliah had placed the signal as usual, and, sitting on her throne adorned with a magnificent diamond necklace, which had been given to her by her father, she walted for the well-known footsteps of her

“HF FELL HEADLONG POWN THE STFEP RAVINE. '

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lover. Fle did not conie, and an uncasy feeling filled the maiden's breast as she waited ; then a noise was heard of steps resounding on the marble palace floor. FFour men entered, bearing a heavy bur- denywhich they placed at the feet of the un- happy princess. A tree by which the lover was accustomed to swing himsclf from one ledge to another had been partly uprooted, for, on taking it m his hands, it ., gave way, and he ~ fellheadlong down the steep ravine, bruised and life- less 1 So the body was sent for the princess to vicw, for the enemics of her lover rejoiced in the success of their foul strata- gem,

“*Idaliah looked at the mangled form for a mo- ment, then, sigh- mg deeply, was stlent. So still she sat, that at last the bearers of the bur- den attempted to arousc her. They started back 1n horror, for the princess was as pale and lifeless as

s

her lover ! She seemed to have been turned to

stone by the ter- rible shock. “When Shomar heard this, he was struck with sorrow at the effect of his callous plot. He commanded that the citv should be deserted by its inhabitants, and vowed that the princess should bear his name i death, for although he lived many vears after people spake of the dead princess alone as Shomar's queen. The palace was left untouched ; no one dared to move the bodics ot the dead lovers. The strangest part of the narrative 1s, that forall the time which has ensucd the forms have not changed. Idaliah sits there to-day, and her lover hies at her fect, as if the two figures had been carved out of marble. When