Common people who love one another may marry if they choose, and take the punishment which the law assigns but illustrious victims who love cannot marry, and so, my Atam-or, you have only me." I need not say that all this was excessively embarrassing I was certainly fond of Layelah, and liked her too much to hurt her feelings.

Had I been one of the Kosekin I might perhaps have managed better; but being a European, a man of the Aryan race--being such, and sitting there with the beautiful Layelah lavishing all her affections upon me--why, it stands to reason that I could not have the heart to wound her feelings in any way.

I was taken at an utter disadvantage.
Never in my life had I heard of women taking the initiative.

Layelah had proposed to me, she would not listen to refusal, and I had not the heart to wound her.

I had made all the fight I could by persisting in asserting my love for Almah, but all my assertions were brushed lightly aside as trivial things.
Let any gentleman put himself in my situation, and ask himself what he would do.