Page:Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp.djvu/267

221 means of the lamp and that he is a Maugrabin from Africa and that we are now in his native land.” When she had made an end of her story, Alaeddin said to her, “Tell me, what does this accursed one purpose with thee; what saith he to thee and of what doth he bespeak thee and what is his will of thee?” “Every day,” answered the princess, “he cometh to me once and no more and seeketh to draw me to his love, willing me take him in thy stead and forget and renounce thee; nay, he told me that my father the Sultan had cut off thy head. Moreover, he useth to say to me of thee that thou art the son of poor folk and that he was the cause of thine enrichment and seeketh to cajole me with talk, but never hath he seen of me aught but tears and weeping or heard from me one soft word.” Quoth Alaeddin, “Tell me where he layeth the lamp, an thou knowest.” And she said, “He still carrieth it [about him] nor will part with it a moment; nay, when he acquainted me with that whereof I have told thee, he brought out the lamp from his sleeve and showed it to me”