Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 2.djvu/393

356 to thee my secret and have acquainted thee with all that I know of the matter; and thou knowest best what is in thy mind.” When Nuzhet ez Zeman heard what the King’s nurse said, she cried out, saying, “This King Rumzan is my brother by my father King Omar ben Ennuman, and his mother was the Princess Abrizeh, daughter of Herdoub, King of the Greeks; and I know this damsel Merjaneh right well.” With this, trouble and perplexity got hold upon Rumzan and he caused Nuzhet ez Zeman to be brought up to him forthright. When he looked upon her, blood drew to blood and he questioned her of his history. So she told mehim [sic] all she knew, and her story tallied with that of his nurse; whereupon he was assured that he was indeed of the people of Irak and that King Omar ben Ennuman was his father. So he caused his sister to be unbound, and she came up to him and kissed his hands, whilst her eyes ran over with tears. He wept also to see her weeping, and brotherly love entered into him and his heart yearned to his brother’s son Kanmakan. So he sprang to his feet and taking the sword from the headsman’s hands, bade bring the captives up to him. At this, they made sure of death; but he cut their bonds with the sword and said to Merjaneh, “Explain the matter to them, even as thou hast explained it to me.” “O King,” replied she, “know that this old man is the Vizier Dendan and he is the best of witnesses to my story, seeing that he knows the truth of the case.” Then she turned to the captives and repeated the whole story to them and to the princes of the Greeks and the Franks who were present with them, and they all confirmed her words. When she had finished, chancing to look at Kanmakan, she saw on his neck the fellow jewel to that which she had hung round King Rumzan’s neck, whereupon she gave such a cry, that the whole palace rang again, and said to the King, “Know, O my son, that now my certainty is