第80章

When it was the One Hundred and Sixtyseventh Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that after the slavegirl had addressed the jeweller，''Wait here till I come back to thee！' she went away and presently returned with the money，which she put'（continued the jeweller） 'into my hand，saying，'O my master，in what place shall we meet？' Quoth I，'I will start and go to my house at once and suffer hard things for thy sake and contrive how thou mayst win access to him，for such access is difficult at this present.' Said she，'Let me know some spot，where I shall come to thee，' and I answered，'In my other house，I will go thither forthright and have the doors mended and the place made safe again，and henceforth we will meet there.'

Then she took leave of me and went her way，whilst I carried the money home，and counting it，found it five thousand dinars. So I gave my people some of it and to all who had lent me aught I made good their loss，after which I arose and took my servants and repaired to my other house whence the things had been stolen； and I brought builders and carpenters and masons who restored it to its former state. Moreover，I placed my negressslave there and forgot the mishaps which had befallen me. Then I fared forth and repaired to Ali bin Bakkar's house and，when I reached it，his slaveservants accosted me，saying，'Our lord calleth for thee night and day，and hath promised to free whichever of us bringeth thee to him； so they have been wandering about in quest of thee everywhere but knew not in what part to find thee. Our master is by way of recovering strength，but at times he reviveth and at times he relapseth； and whenever he reviveth he nameth thee，and saith，'Needs must ye bring him to me，though but for the twinkling of an eye；' and then he sinketh back into his torpor.'

Accordingly'（continued the jeweller） 'I accompanied the slave and went in to Ali bin Bakkar； and，finding him unable to speak，sat down at his head，whereupon he opened his eyes and seeing me，wept and said，'Welcome and well come！' I raised him and making him sit up，strained him to my bosom，and he said，'Know，O my brother，that，from the hour I took to my bed，I have not sat up till now： praise to Allah that I see thee again！' And I ceased not to prop him and support him until I made him stand on his feet and walk a few steps，after which I changed his clothes and he drank some wine： but all this he did for my satisfaction.

Then，seeing him somewhat restored，I told him what had befallen me with the slavegirl （none else hearing me），and said to him，'Take heart and be of good courage，I know what thou sufferest.'

He smiled and I added，'Verily nothing shall betide thee save what shall rejoice thee and medicine thee.' Thereupon he called for food，which being brought，he signed to his pages，and they withdrew. Then quoth he to me，'O my brother，hast thou seen what hath befallen me？'； and he made excuses to me and asked how I had fared all that while. I told him everything that had befallen me，from beginning to end，whereat he wondered and calling his servants，said，'Bring me such and such things.' They brought in fine carpets and hangings and，besides that，vessels of gold and silver，more than I had lost，and he gave them all to me； so I sent them to my house and abode with him that night. When the day began to yellow，he said to me，'Know thou that as to all things there is an end，so the end of love is either death or accomplishment of desire. I am nearer unto death，would I had died ere this befel！； and had not Allah favoured us，we had been found out and put to shame. And now I know not what shall deliver me from this my strait，and were it not that I fear Allah，I would hasten my own death； for know，O my brother，that I am like bird in cage and that my life is of a surety perished，choked by the distresses which have befallen me； yet hath it a period stablished firm and an appointed term.' And he wept and groaned and began repeating，'Enough of tears hath shed the loverwight，When grief outcast all patience from his sprite：

He hid the secrets which united us，But now His eye parts what He did unite！'

When he had finished his verses，the jeweller said to him，'O my lord，I now intend returning to my house.'He answered，'There be no harm in that； go and come back to me with news as fast as possible，for thou seest my case.''So I took leave of him'（continued the jeweller） 'and went home，and hardly had I sat down，when up came the damsel，choked with long weeping. I asked，'What is the matter'？； and she answered，'O my lord，know then that what we feared hath befallen us； for，when I left thee yesterday and returned to my lady，I found her in a fury with one of the two maids who were with us the other night，and she ordered her to be beaten. The girl was frightened and ran away；but，as she was leaving the house，one of the doorporters and guards of the gate met her and took her up and would have sent her back to her mistress. However，she let fall some hints，which were a disclosure to him； so he cajoled her and led her on to talk，and she tattled about our case and let him know of all our doings. This affair came to the ears of the Caliph，who bade remove my mistress，Shams alNahar，and all her gear to the palace of the Caliphate； and set over her a guard of twenty eunuchs. Since then to the present hour he hath not visited her nor hath given her to know the reason of his action，but I suspect this to be the cause； wherefore I am in fear for my life and am sore troubled，O my lord，knowing not what I shall do，nor with what contrivance I shall order my affair and hers； for she hath none by her more trusted or more trustworthy than myself.''And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.