Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 3.djvu/79

61 of the bath is accomplished, by the king’s fair fortune and the eminence of his magnanimity, and indeed we have done all that behoved us and there remaineth but that which behoveth the king.” El Aziz ordered him a sumptuous dress of honour and expended monies galore, giving unto each who had wroughten, after the measure of his work. Then he assembled in the bath all the grandees of his state, amirs and viziers and chamberlains and lieutenants, and the chief officers of his realm and household, and sending for his son El Abbas, said to him, “O my son, I have builded thee a bath, wherein thou mayst take thy pleasance; so enter thou therein, that thou mayst see it and divert thyself by gazing upon it and viewing the goodliness of its ordinance and decoration.” “With all my heart,” replied the prince and entered the bath, he and the king and the folk about them, so they might divert themselves with viewing that which the workmen’s hands had wroughten.

El Abbas went in and passed from place to place and chamber to chamber, till he came to the chamber aforesaid and espied the portrait of Mariyeh, whereupon he fell down in a swoon and the workmen went to his father and said to him, “Thy son El Abbas hath swooned away.” So the king came and finding the prince cast down, seated himself at his head and bathed his face with rose-water. After awhile he revived and the king said to him, “God keep thee, O my son! What hath befallen thee?”