of no use here on earth without you. Take me to my father and say to
him, the family shall be united in heaven as it never was on earth."

"No, you shall not go with me," said she, raising herself with a
last effort from the mat. "I command you to live! I shall go to your
father and bear him the greeting of our only son, and say to him,
'We shall not die, we shall live on in our son; he will make our
name great and glorious before the world!' But you I command to make
true what I shall tell him."

She sank back. Her head fell heavily on her pillow of dry leaves;
her breathing became short and painful, and her eyes again assumed
the vacant expression that had struck such terror to Mohammed's
soul.

"Mother, I entreat you, answer me once more! Do you hear me? Do you
love me?"

"I hear you," murmured the stiffening lips. "And do I love you? Your
mother's love struggled with Death for a whole year. He tried to
drag me hence, and I struggled with him day after day, and night
after night. Love helped me to deceive you, or you would have seen
your mother dying day by day. Now, I am going hence, and the
agathodaemon will give me new garments, and a new countenance full
of youth and beauty, that your father may see me as I looked in the
days of our youthful love. O my son, may the woman you are to love
be not far distant; may she soon wing her flight to you, the dove of
innocence, with the countenance of love and the fragrance of the
rose? May she open heaven unto you with her star-like eyes? This is
my last blessing, my son. Allah watch over you! Farewell!"