[FN#548] Meaning only that the babe was perfectly beautiful.

[FN#549] In order that the cord might not be subject to the evil eye or fall into the hand of a foe who would use it magically to injure the babe.  The navel-string has few superstitions in England.  The lower classes mostly place over the wound a bit of cloth wherein a hole has been burned, supposing that the carbon will heal the cut, and make it fast to the babe by a “binder” or swathe round the body, as a preventative to “pot-belly.”  But throughout the East there are more observances.  In India, on the birth of the babe, the midwife demands something shining, as a rupee or piece of silver, and having touched the navel-string therewith she divides it and appropriates the glittering substance, under the pretence that the absence of the illuminating power of some such sparkling object would prevent her seeing to operate.  The knife with which the umbilical cord has been cut is not used for common purposes but is left beside the puerpera until the “Chilla” (fortieth day), when “Kajjal” (lamp-black), used by way of Kohl, is collected on it and applied to the child’s eyelids.  Whenever the babe is bathed or taken out of the house the knife must be carried along with it; and when they are brought in again the instrument is deposited in its former place near the mother.  Lastly, on the “Chilla"-day they must slaughter with the same blade a cock or a sheep (Herklots, chapt. i. sec. 3).  Equally quaint is the treatment of the navel-string in Egypt; but Lane (M.E.) is too modest to give details.

[FN#550] In text “Sarsarah,” a clerical error for “Akhaza(?) surratan.”  See Ms. vol. vi. p. 197, line 9. [I read “sarra Surrah (Surratan)” = he tied up a purse.—­St.]

[FN#551] In the text “on account of the dust-cloud” which, we were just told, had cleared away [The translator seems to have overlooked the “k na” before “kad d khala-hu al-Ra’b,” which gives to the verb the force of a pluperfect:  “and fear had entered into him at the sight of the dust-cloud.”—­St.]

[FN#552] i.e. his daughter, of whom he afterwards speaks in the plur.

[FN#553] These concealments are inevitable in ancient tale and modern novel, and it need hardly be said that upon the nice conduct of them depends all the interest of the work.  How careful the second-rate author is to spoil his plot by giving a needless “pregustation” of his purpose, I need hardly say.

[FN#554] The mysteries of the marriage-night are touched with a light hand because the bride had already lost her virginity.

[FN#555] In text “Ab£yah,” a Fellah vulgarism for Ab¡ which latter form occurs a few lines lower down.