A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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self-sacrificing fiends; to be killed--ay, and afterward borne to the
tremendous Mista Kosek.
There was a difficulty with Layelah that had to be guarded against: in
the first place that she might not suspect, and again that we might
choose our time of escape when she would not be at all likely to find
us out. We resolved to make our attempt without any further delay.
Layelah was with us for the greater part of that jom, and the Kohen
Gadol also gave us much of his company. Layelah did not seem to have
any suspicions whatever of my secret purpose; for she was as bright,
as amiable, and as devoted to me as ever, while the Kohen Gadol sought
as before to make himself agreeable to Almah. I did not think fit
to tell her about Layelah's proposal, and therefore she was quite
ignorant of the secret plans of the Kohen Gadol, evidently attributing
his attention to the unfailing amiability of the Kosekin.
Layelah came again after Almah had retired, and spent the time in
trying to persuade me to fly with her. The beautiful girl was
certainly never more engaging, nor was she ever more tender. Had it
not been for Almah it would have been impossible to resist such sweet
persuasions; but as it was I did resist. Layelah, however, was not at
all discouraged, nor did she lose any of her amiability; but when she
took leave it was with a smile and sweet words of forgiveness on her
lips for what she called my cruelty. After she left I remained for a
time with a painful sense of helplessness. The fact is my European
training did not fit me for encountering such a state of things as
existed among the Kosekin. It's very easy to be faithful to one's own
true-love in England, when other fair ladies hold aloof and wait to
be sought; but here among the Kosekin, women have as much liberty in
making love as men, and there is no law or custom about it. If a woman
chooses she can pay the most desperate attentions, and play the part
of a distracted lover to her heart's content. In most cases the
women actually take the initiative, as they are more impressible and
impulsive than men; and so it was that Layelah made me the object of
her persistent assault--acting all the time, too, in accordance with
the custom of the country, and thus having no thought whatever of
indelicacy, since, according to the Kosekin, she was acting simply in
accordance with the rights of every woman. Now, where a woman is urged
by one ardent lover to dismiss her other lover, she may sometimes find
it difficult to play her part satisfactorily; but in my case I did not
play my part satisfactorily at all; the ordeal was too hard, and I was