I am the victim of my love for Izaf , ' pointing to the man who had entered last , ` and in spite of his ingratitude , I can not tear him from my heart . Cruel enemy of my life , ' she continued , turning to Izaf , ` tell these gentlemen your story and that of your brothers , and try to gain your pardon by repentance . ' ` We all three were born at the same time , ' said the Jew , obeying the command of Sumi at a sign from the Cadi , ` and are the sons of the famous Nathan Ben-Sadi , who gave us the names of Izif , Izouf , and Izaf . From our earliest years we were taught the secrets of magic , and as we were all born under the same stars we shared the same happiness and the same troubles . ` Our mother died before I can remember , and when we were fifteen our father was seized with a dangerous illness which no spells could cure . Feeling death draw near , he called us to his bedside and took leave of us in these words : ' `` My sons , I have no riches to bequeath to you ; my only wealth was those secrets of magic which you know . Some stones you already have , engraved with mystic signs , and long ago I taught you how to make others . But you still lack the most precious of all talismans -- the three rings belonging to the daughters of Siroco . Try to get possession of them , but take heed on beholding these young girls that you do not fall under the power of their beauty . Their religion is different from yours , and further , they are the betrothed brides of the sons of the Bassa of the Sea . And to preserve you from a love which can bring you nothing but sorrow , I counsel you in time of peril to seek out the daughter of Moïzes the Rabbi , who cherishes a hidden passion for Izaf , and possesses the Book of Spells , which her father himself wrote with the sacred ink that was used for the Talmud . '' So saying , our father fell back on his cushions and died , leaving us burning with desire for the three rings of the daughters of Siroco . ` No sooner were our sad duties finished than we began to make inquiries where these young ladies were to be found , and we learned after much trouble that Siroco , their father , had fought in many wars , and that his daughters , whose beauty was famous throughout all the land , were named Aurora , Argentine , and Zelida . ' At the second of these names , both the Bassa and his son gave a start of surprise , but they said nothing , and Izaf went on with his story . ` The first thing to be done was to put on a disguise , and it was in the dress of foreign merchants that we at length approached the young ladies , taking care to carry with us a collection of fine stones which we had hired for the occasion . But alas ! it was to no purpose that Nathan Ben-Sadi had warned us to close our hearts against their charms ! The peerless Aurora was clothed in a garment of golden hue , studded all over with flashing jewels ; the fair-haired Argentine wore a dress of silver , and the young Zelida , loveliest of them all , the costume of a Persian lady . ` Among other curiosities that we had brought with us , was a flask containing an elixir which had the quality of exciting love in the breasts of any man or woman who drank of it . This had been given me by the fair Sumi , who had used it herself and was full of wrath because I refused to drink it likewise , and so return her passion .
I showed this liquid to the three maidens who were engaged in examining the precious stones , and choosing those that pleased them best ; and I was XXXXX the act of pouring some in a crystal cup , when Zelida 's eyes fell on a paper wrapped round the flask containing these words : `` Beware lest you drink this water with any other man than him who will one day be your husband . ''
against as from in on than that throughout to under