human
Your mother was not of our rough Dekhani sort, daughter, she said;
gpt
--and the lady sighed, and perhaps tears gathered in her eyes, for she wiped them hastily with the corner of her muslin scarf.
human
Well, it is God's will, daughter; and though I could never understand it properly, there was something wrong in the horoscope which they cast when I was betrothed. You see, Zyna, my planet was then Mars, which represented water--no, it was fire;--no, that's a male planet, and so it must have been Earth. Yes, I think it was--Earth; and then he was Venus--no, that could not be either; it must have been Saturn, and that's for air. So you see, fire and air--no, let me see--air and water? no. What did I tell thee, Zyna? Was it Earth?
gpt
I do not understand it, mother; how can I tell?
human
But you are not listening, girl; ah, wait till your own time comes. I'll warrant you anxious and curious enough to know whether you are fire or earth, or air or water; and whether he is air, or water, or whatever he may be. Now about myself. You see I was fire; no I am wrong. 'Humul,' 'Sowr,' 'Jowza' (Aries, Taurus, Gemini), continued the lady Lurlee, telling off all the signs of the zodiac, in Arabic, upon the ends of her fingers, and then the planets in succession,
gpt
Alas, mother, but I do not understand it, and I can never remember the names of the planets or their houses,--indeed I cannot, said Zyna, piteously.
human
But ah, mother, look, it is burning!