Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/249

224 followed him with stones and pelted him, saying, ‘A madman! A madman!’ Presently, the king’s chamberlain, who was a man of age and worth, met him, and when he saw his youth, he forbade the boys and drove there away from him, after which he accosted him and questioned him of his case. So he told him how it was with him and the chamberlain said to him, ‘Fear not: all shall yet be well with thee. I will deliver thy slave-girl for thee: so calm thy trouble.’ And he went on to speak him fair and comfort him, till he put faith in his speech.

Then he carried him to his house and stripping him of his clothes, clad him in rags; after which he called an old woman, who was his stewardess, and said to her. ‘Take this youth and clap on his neck this iron chain and go round about with him in all the thoroughfares of the city; and when thou hast made an end of this, go up with him to the palace of the king.’ And he said to the youth, ‘In whatsoever place thou seest the damsel, speak not a syllable, but acquaint me with her place and thou shall owe her deliverance to none but me.’ The youth thanked him and went with the old woman on such wise as the chamberlain bade him. She fared on with him till they entered the city [and made the round thereof]; after which she went up to the palace of the king and fell to saying, ‘O people of affluence, look on a youth whom the devils take twice in the day and pray for preservation from [a like] affliction!’ And she ceased not to go round about with him till she came to the eastern wing of the palace, whereupon the slave-girls