The first to arrive at the tomb was the young man in yellow; his heart glowed, for he knew that the Pelican had sent the message and guessed that the wise bird had made this plan that he might meet his love. So he sat down to wait under the palm-trees and listened to the creak of the well-wheels in the fields. Presently he heard a footstep and saw a woman come gliding between the stems, but as he rushed forward to embrace her, he perceived that it was not the melon girl but a stranger. [Illustration: HE RAN FORWARD AND HELD HER IN HIS ARMS] “What are you doing here?” he cried, in wrath at his disappointment. “Off with you, or I will throw you into the river!” The lady, who had hoped that her beauty would have made him fall in love with her on the spot, was terrified and ran away; but when she had gone a few yards, curiosity overcame her and she turned back, unnoticed by the young man, and slipped behind the tomb. He sat waiting till he saw the melon girl approaching softly like a shadow in the moonlight; then he ran forward and held her in his arms, kissing her and praising the Pelican who had brought them together. While they sat under the palm-trees thus happily employed, a sound of galloping hoofs drew near, and Prince Hassan, in his dark cloak, rode into the palm grove, and, drawing his sword, rushed upon them. But, when he found the melon girl and not the lady he expected, he stood still. “Where is the lady who was to come here at full moon?” he cried. “Sir, there is no such person,” replied the young man. “A peasant woman came by not long ago, but she has gone into the fields.” At the sound of Prince Hassan’s voice the lady behind the tomb nearly died of terror, for she knew that if he caught her he would certainly cut off her head. So she slipped away and ran to the river-bank while the Prince remained behind, questioning the lovers, and it chanced that the first person she met was a man on a trotting camel. “If you will take me as fast as you can to the wall of Prince Hassan’s garden,” she said, “I will give you as much money as will make you rich for the rest of your life.” The camel-driver asked nothing better, so he took the lady up behind him and went like a flash of lightning to the place to which she directed him. Then, having asked his name, she entered by the little door in the wall and went to the jessamine-arbour, where she put on her own clothes, hid the others, and sat cooling herself in the night air and thanking heaven which had protected her. In a short time Prince Hassan came riding back and entered the palace, calling her loudly. “She is not here,” said the slaves, “we do not know where she has gone.” Then the Prince ran, raging and stamping, into the garden, and as he passed the arbour, the lady called him softly.