Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/119

101 consent of his family: and he has agreed with me that, in case I should ever have occasion for him in the interval between his visits, whether by night or by day, I have only to touch these two lines engraved upon the alcove, and he will be with me before I take away my hand. It is now four days since he was here, and there remain six before he comes again. Wilt thou therefore spend five days with me and depart the day before his coming?” “I will well,” answered I. “O rare! if it be not all a dream.” At this she rejoiced and taking me by the hand, led me through a vaulted doorway into a small but elegant bath-room, where we put off our clothes and she washed me. Then she clad me in a new suit and seated me by her side on a high divan and gave me to drink of sherbet of sugar flavoured with musk. Then she brought food, and we ate and conversed. After awhile, she said to me, “Lie down and rest, for thou art weary.” So I lay down and slept and forgot all that had befallen me. When I awoke, I found her rubbing my feet: so I thanked her and blessed her, and we sat talking awhile. Quoth she, “By Allah, I was sad at heart, for that I have dwelt alone under ground these five-and-twenty years, without any to talk withal. So praised be God who hath sent thee to me!” Then she said, “O youth, art thou for wine?” And I answered, “As thou wilt.” Whereupon she went to the cupboard and took out a sealed flask of old wine and decked the table with flowers and green herbs. Then she recited the following verses:

I thanked her, for indeed love of her had taken hold of