第74章

Indeed，I have not strength to do this thing！'Replied she，'Hearten thy heart，if it be hard for thee to go to the Caliph's palace and thou canst not muster up courage to accompany me，I will make her come to thee； so budge not from thy place till I return to thee with her.'Then the slavegirl went away and was absent for a while，but a short while，after which she returned to the jeweller and said to him，'Take thou care that there be with thee none save thyself，neither manslave nor girlslave.'Quoth he，'I have but a negress，who is in years and who waiteth on me.'[208] So she arose and locked the door between his negress and the jeweller and sent his manservants out of the place； after which she fared forth and presently returned，followed by a lady who，entering the house，filled it with the sweet scent of her perfumes. When the jeweller saw her，he sprang up and set her a couch and a cushion； and she sat down while he seated himself before her. She abode awhile without speaking till she had rested herself，when she unveiled her face and it seemed to the jeweller's fancy as if the sun had risen in his home. Then she asked her slavegirl，'Is this the man of whom thou spakest to me？''Yes，'answered she； whereupon the lady turned to the jeweller and said to him，'How is it with thee？'

Replied he，'Right well！ I pray Allah for thy preservation and that of the Commander of the Faithful.'Quoth she，'Thou hast moved us to come to thee and possess thee with what we hold secret.'Then she questioned him of his household and family； and he disclosed to her all his circumstance and his condition and said to her，'I have a house other than this； and I have set it apart for gathering together my friends and brethren； and there is none there save the old negress，of whom I spoke to thy handmaid.'She asked him on what wise he came first to know how the affair began and the matter of Abu alHasan and the cause of his wayfaring： accordingly he told her all he knew and how he had advised the journey. Thereupon she bewailed the loss of Abu alHasan and said to the jeweller，'Know，O such an one，[209]that men's souls are active in their lusts and that men are still men； and that deeds are not done without words nor is end ever reached without endeavour. Rest is won only by work.'And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the One Hundred and Sixtysecond Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Shams alNahar thus addressed the jeweller，'Rest is gained only by work and success is gendered only by help of the generous. Now I have acquainted thee with our affair and it is in thy hand to expose us or to shield us； I say no more，because thy generosity requireth naught. Thou knowest that this my handmaiden keepeth my counsel and therefore occupieth high place in my favour； and I

have selected her to transact my affairs of importance. So let none be worthier in thy sight than she and acquaint her with thine affair； and be of good cheer，for on her account thou art safe from all fear，and there is no place shut upon thee but she shall open it to thee. She shall bring thee my messages to Ali bin Bakkar and thou shalt be our intermediary.'So saying，she rose，scarcely able to rise，and fared forth，the jeweller faring before her to the door of her house，after which he returned and sat down again in his place，having seen of her beauty and heard of her speech what dazzled him and dazed his wit，and having witnessed of her grace and courtesy what bewitched his sprite. He sat musing on her perfections till his mind waxed tranquil，when he called for food and ate enough to keep soul and body together.

Then he changed his clothes and went out； and，repairing to the house of the youth Ali bin Bakkar，knocked at the door. The servants hastened to admit him and walked before him till they had brought him to their master，whom he found strown upon his bed. Now when he saw the jeweller，he said to him，'Thou hast tarried long from me，and that hath heaped care upon my care.'

Then he dismissed his servants and bade the doors be shut； after which he said to the jeweller，'By Allah，O my brother，I have not closed my eyes since the day I saw thee last； for the slavegirl came to me yesterday with a sealed letter from her mistress Shams alNahar；'and went on to tell him all that had passed with her，adding，'By the Lord，I am indeed perplexed concerning mine affair and my patience faileth me： for Abu alHasan was a comforter who cheered me because he knew the slavegirl.'When the jeweller heard his words，he laughed； and Ali said，'Why dost thou laugh at my words，thou on whose coming I congratulated myself and to whom I looked for provision against the shifts of fortune？'Then he sighed and wept and repeated these couplets，[210]'Full many laugh at tears they see me shed Who had shed tears an bore they what I bore；

None feeleth pity for th' afflicted's woe，

Save one as anxious and in woe galore：

My passion，yearning，sighing，thought，repine

Are for me cornered in my heart's deep core：

He made a home there which he never quits，

Yet rare our meetings，not as heretofore：

No friend to stablish in his place I see；

No intimate but only he and he.'

Now when the jeweller heard these lines and understood their significance，he wept also and told him all that had passed betwixt himself and the slavegirl and her mistress since he left him. And Ali bin Bakkar gave ear to his speech，and at every word he heard his colour shifted from white to red and his body grew now stronger and then weaker till the tale came to an end，when he wept and said，'O my brother，I am a lost man in any case：

would mine end were nigh，that I might be at rest from all this！