"Ah!" he said, "that is
a true word."
In my younger days, I said (may Heaven forgive me!), I had been
passionately in love with a most beautiful young lady, but--and here
my voice faltered, and I looked very sad, waiting for Yakoub to
interpret what I had said--but it had been the will of Allah that she
should marry another gentleman, and this had broken my heart for many
years. After a time, however, I concluded that these things were all
settled for us by a higher Power.
"Ah! that is a true word."
"And so, my dear sir, in your case I should reflect that if Allah"
(and I raised my hand to Heaven) "had desired your being married, he
would have signified his will to you in some way that you could
hardly mistake. As he does not appear to have done so, I should
recommend you to remain single until you receive some distinct
intimation that you are to marry."
"Ah! that is a true word."
"Besides," I continued, "suppose you marry a woman with whom you
think you are in love and then find out, after you have been married
to her for three months, that you do not like her. This would be a
very painful situation."
"Ah, yes, indeed! that is a true word."
"And if you had children who were good and dutiful, it would be
delightful; but suppose they turned out disobedient and ungrateful--
and I have known many such cases--could anything be more distressing
to a parent in his declining years?"
"Ah! that is a true word that you have spoken.
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