"No, Mohammed! You called me a white dove. Then let the white dove
fly away on its mission. You would not be the huntsman that takes
its life? See, beneath us lies Cavalla, where people are now
beginning to move about. The eyes of gossips might see me, and the
sharp tongues of calumny defame my father's daughter. That may not
be, for the sake of my good name, and for your sake too, Mohammed.
Let me go down alone, and you remain until you see me descending the
stairway. Do not go down until then. Do not give evil tongues
occasion to suspect and speak ill of me. Let the white dove that is
to wing her flight, when it pleases Allah, to the nest you have
prepared for her, be pure and with. out reproach. Do not speak one
more word, and do not look at me only see how weak I am: if you look
at me again I shall stand still and wait till you command me to go.
Turn away from me and let me go. Let us both pray to Allah that our
wishes may be granted."
He turns away as she requested, and gazes in the opposite direction,
at the blue sky and the foaming sea. He sees her not, but the pain
he feels tells him Masa is leaving; he knows, without hearing her
footsteps, that she is walking from him. He remains above as she had
requested. After a while he turns around and looks after her. He
sees the white dove fluttering downward from rock to rock, and at
last disappear on the stairway that leads to Praousta.
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