Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 2.djvu/188

168 with candles and wine and dessert, and in another place we saw food and in a third beds.

We sat down and I looked at him who had opened the door to us, and behold he was lopped of the hand. I misliked this of him, and when I had sat a little longer, there entered a man, who filled the lamps in the saloon and lit the candles; and behold, he also was handlopped. Then came the folk and there entered none except he were lopped of the hand, and indeed the house was full of these. When the assembly was complete, the host entered and the company rose to him and seated him in the place of honour. Now he was none other than the man who had fetched me, and he was clad in sumptuous apparel, but his hands were in his sleeves, so that I knew not how it was with them. They brought him food and he ate, he and the company; after which they washed their hands and the host fell to casting furtive glances at me.

Then they drank till they were drunken, and when they had taken leave [of their wits], the host turned to me and said, “Thou dealtest not friendly with him who sought an alms of thee and thou saidst to him, ‘How loathly thou art!’” I considered him and behold, he was the lophand who had accosted me in my pleasaunce. So I said, “O my lord, what is this thou sayest?” And he answered, saying, “Wait; thou shall remember it.” So saying, he shook his head and stroked his beard, whilst I sat down for fear. Then he put out his hand to my veil and shoes and laying them by his side, said to me, “Sing, O accursed one!” So I sang till I was