Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/246

221 return, but he returned not; wherefore concern and chagrin waxed upon him, because of his mistress, and his longing for her redoubled and he was like to slay himself. She became aware of this and sent him a messenger, bidding him to her. So he went to her and she questioned him of the case; whereupon he told her what was to do of the matter of his governor, and she said to him, ‘With me is longing the like of that which is with thee, and I misdoubt me thy messenger hath perished or thy father hath slain him; but I will give thee all my trinkets and my clothes, and do thou sell them and pay the rest of my price, and we will go, I and thou, to thy father.’

So she gave him all that she possessed and he sold it and paid the rest of her price; after which there remained to him a hundred dirhems. These he spent and lay that night with the damsel in all delight of life, and his soul was like to fly for joy; but when he arose in the morning, he sat weeping and the damsel said to him, ‘What aileth thee to weep?’ And he said, ‘I know not if my father be dead, and he hath none other heir but myself; and how shall I win to him, seeing I have not a dirhem?’ Quoth she, ‘I have a bracelet; do thou sell it and buy small pearls with the price. Then bray them and fashion them into great pearls, and thereon thou shalt gain much money, wherewith we may make our way to thy country.’ So he took the bracelet and repairing to a goldsmith, said to him, ‘Break up this bracelet and sell it.’ But he said, ‘The king seeketh a good bracelet; I will go to him and bring thee the price thereof.’ So he carried