Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/253

229 “El Hejjaj has bought me a female slave of the daughters (descendants) of the (ancient) Kings of Cufa, for ten thousand dinars, and has sent her to me with this letter.” “May God increase thee of his favour!” answered she. Then the Khalif’s sister went into Num and when she saw her, she said, “By Allah, happy the man who hath thee in his house, were thy cost a hundred thousand dinars!” “O fair-faced one,” said Num, “what King’s palace is this?” “This is the city of Damascus,” answered the princess, “and the palace of my brother, the Commander of the Faithful, Abdulmelik ben Merwan. Didst thou not know this?” “By Allah, O my lady,” said Num, “I had no knowledge of this!” “And he who sold thee and took thy price,” asked the princess, “did he not tell thee that the Khalif had bought thee?” When Num heard this, she wept and said in herself, “I have been cozened; but, if I speak, none will credit me; so I will hold my peace and take patience, knowing that the relief of God is near.” Then she bent her head for shame, and indeed her cheeks were tanned with the journey and the sun. So the Khalif’s sister left her that day and returned to her on the morrow with clothes and necklaces of jewels and dressed her; after which the Khalif came in to her and sat down by her side, and his sister said to him, “Look on this damsel, in whom God hath united every perfection of beauty and grace.” So he said to Num, “Draw back the veil from thy face;” but she would not unveil, and he beheld not her face. However, he saw her wrists and love of her entered his heart; and he said to his sister, “I will not go in to her for three days, till she be cheered by thy converse.” Then he left her, but Num ceased not to brood over her case and sigh for her separation from Nimeh, till, at eventide, she fell sick of a fever and ate not nor drank; and her face grew pale and her charms faded. They told the Khalif of this, and it grieved