Pagina 290 di 1116

Now when the portress heard her second ode she shrieked aloud and

said, "By Allah! 'tis right good!"; and laying hands on her

garments tore them, as she did the first time, and fell to the

ground fainting. Thereupon the procuratrix rose end brought her a

second change of clothes after she had sprinkled water on her.

She recovered and sat upright and said to her sister the

cateress, "Onwards, and help me in my duty, for there remains but

this one song." So the provisioneress again brought out the lute

and began to sing these verses:-