第85章 KEMEREZZEMAN AND BUDOUR.(47)

So he sat up whilst the Persian made his preparations and took of Er Rebya，in all，the sum of ten thousand dinars，together with horses and camels and beasts of burden such as he needed for the journey.Then Nimeh took leave of his father and mother and journeyed with the physician to Aleppo.They could get no news of Num there，so fared on to Damascus，where they abode three days，after which the Persian took a shop and adorned its shelves with gilding and stuffs of price and stocked them with vessels of costly porcelain，with covers of silver.Moreover，he set before himself vases and flagons of glass full of all manner ointments and syrups，surrounded by cups of crystal，and donning a physicians habit，took his seat in the shop，with his astrolabe and geomantic tablet before him.Then he clad Nimeh in a shirt and gown of silk and girding his middle with a silken kerchief embroidered with gold，made him sit before himself，saying to him，'O Nimeh，henceforth thou art my son；so call me nought but father and I will call thee son.'And he replied，'I hear and obey.'The people of Damascus flocked to gaze on the youths goodliness and the beauty of the shop and its contents，whilst the physician spoke to Nimeh in Persian and he answered him in the same tongue，for he knew the language，after the wont of the sons of the notables.The Persian soon became known among the townsfolk and they began to resort to him and acquaint him with their ailments，for which he prescribed.Moreover，they brought him the water of the sick in phials，and he would examine it and say，'He，whose water this is，is suffering from such and such a disease.'And the patient would say，'Verily，this physician says sooth.'So he continued to do the occasions of the folk and they to flock to him，till his fame spread throughout the city and into the houses of the great.One day，as he sat in his shop，there came up an old woman riding on an ass with housings of brocade，embroidered with jewels，and drawing bridle before his shop，beckoned to him，saying，'Take my hand.'So he took her hand，and she alighted and said to him，'Art thou the Persian physician from Irak？'Yes，'answered he，and she said，'Know that I have a sick daughter.'Then she brought out to him a phial and he looked at it and said to her，'Tell me thy daughters name，that I may calculate her horoscope and learn the hour in which it will befit her to take medicine.'O brother of the Persians，'answered she，'her name is Num.'When he heard this，he fell to calculating and writing on his hand and presently said to her，'O my lady，I cannot prescribe for the girl，till I know what countrywoman she is，because of the difference of climate： so tell me where she was brought up and what is her age.'She is fourteen years old，'replied the old woman，'and was brought up in Cufa of Irak.'And how long，'asked he，'has she sojourned in this country？'But a few months，'answered she.When Nimeh heard the old womans words and the name of his slave-girl，his heart fluttered and he was like to swoon.Then said the Persian to the old woman，'Such and such medicines will suit her case；' and she rejoined，'Then make them up and give them to me，with the blessing of God the Most High！'So saying，she threw him ten dinars，and he bade Nimeh prepare the necessary drugs；whereupon she looked at the youth and exclaimed，'God have thee in His holy keeping，O my son！

Verily，she is like thee in age and favour.'Then said she to the physician，'O brother of the Persians，is this thy slave or thy son？'He is my son，'answered he.So Nimeh made up the medicine and laying it in a little box，took a piece of paper and wrote thereon the following verses：

So Num but vouchsafe me a glance，to gladden my heart and my mind，Let Suada unfavouring prove and Juml，ant please her，unkind.[82]

'Forget her，'quoth they unto me，'And thou shalt have twenty like her.' I will not forget her，I swear，for never her like should I find.

He put the paper in the box and sealing it up，wrote on the cover the following words in the Cufic character，'I am Nimeh ben er Rebya of Cufa.'Then he gave it to the old woman，who bade them farewell and returning to the Khalifs palace，went in to Num，to whom she delivered the box，saying，'O my lady，know that there is lately come to our town a Persian physician，than whom I never saw a more skilful nor a better versed in matters of sickness.I showed him the phial and told him thy name，and he knew thine ailment and prescribed a remedy.Then，by his order，his son made thee up this medicine；and there is not in Damascus a comelier or more elegant youth than this son of his nor hath any the like of his shop.'Num took the box and seeing the names of her lord and his father written thereon，changed colour and said to herself，'Doubtless，the owner of this shop is come in search of me.'So she said to the old woman，'Describe this youth to me.'His name is Nimeh，'answered the old woman；'he is richly clad and perfectly handsome and has a mole on his right eyebrow.'

'Give me the medicine，'cried Num，'and may the blessing and help of God the Most High attend it！'So she drank off the potion and said，laughing，'Indeed，it is a blessed medicine.'Then she sought in the box and finding the paper，read it and knew that this was indeed her lord，whereat her heart was solaced and she rejoiced.When the old woman saw her laughing，she exclaimed，'This is indeed a blessed day！'And Num said，'O nurse，I have a mind to eat and drink.'So the old woman said to the serving-women，'Bring a tray of dainty viands for your mistress；'whereupon they set food before her and she sat down to eat.