Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 2.djvu/321

295 to him, laughing, “God’s blessing on thee! Where are the sweetmeats? Where is the coffee? It would seem thou hast forgotten us; surely, the charms of the bride have disordered thy reason and taken thy wit, God help thee! Well, well; we give thee joy, we give thee joy.” And they made mock of him, whilst he gave them no answer and was like to tear his clothes and weep for vexation. Then they went away from him, and when it was the hour of noon, up came his mistress, trailing her skirts and swaying in her gait, as she were a cassia-branch in a garden. She was yet more richly dressed and adorned and more bewitching in her symmetry and grace than on the previous day, so that she made the passers stop and stand in ranks to look on her.

When she came to Alaeddin’s shop, she sat down thereat and said to him, “May the day be blessed to thee, O my lord Alaeddin! God prosper thee and be good to thee and accomplish thy gladness and make it a wedding of weal and content!” He knitted his brows and frowned in answer to her; then said he to her, “Tell me, how have I failed of thy due, or what