I Forbid the Banns! — page 195: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ON THE SONG OF THE NIGHTINGALE. 185 They went together out into the night. The air was luscious with the scent of the roses. The light from that great lamp of love in the heaven was glisten- ing upon the large diamond drops of dew in the hearts of the roses. | The air made the lovers joyous. ‘Oh, faithless nightingale!’’ she cried. ‘‘The world is silent—the world is breathless, waiting for your song. Sweet bulbul, every rose in the gardens of Gul is waiting in tears forherlover! Sweet nightingale! Ihave waited all my life to hear your song that I may know if its interpretation is love, and yet you will not pity us.’’ Her light laughter rang down the glades, but there was no response to her prayer. ‘‘And I thought that the nightingale was the most faithful of nature’s singers,’’ she continued. ‘It will sing yet,’’ said he. ‘‘Why should it come last night, and not to-night—this night of nights?’’ They wandered down the terraces, and drank more of the intoxicating perfume of the rose beds. Suddenly from the shrubbery there burst forth a strain of passionate melody that thrilled the silence of the night— that flooded the night with music as the heaven is flooded with moonlight when the moon is at its full. ‘Bertha, can you interpret it?’’ he whispered. ‘‘My beloved, do you know what ts the realization of the song of the nightingale? My beloved, does your heart not tell you?’’ She was clinging to him. Huis face was looking down on hers. The light of the great star shone upon the tears within her eyes. He saw her lips part as if to speak, but only a little sob came from her throat. “My beloved, our hearts to the nightingale’s song are attuned,’’ he whispered. ‘“‘What is the song that is in your heart, darling? What is the song that is in your heart?’’ : CORNIELIOOKS (C6)