Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/255

231 palace of the governor, whose chamberlain went in to him and told him what was to do. El Hejjaj bade admit him and enquired his business. Quoth Nimeh, “Such and such things have befallen me.” And the governor said, “Bring me the chief of the police, and we will bid him seek for the old woman.” Now he knew that the chief of the police knew her; so, when he came, he said to him, “I wish thee to make search for the slave-girl of Nimeh ben er Rebya.” And he answered, “None knoweth the hidden things save God the Most High.” “Thou must send out horsemen,” rejoined El Hejjaj, “and look for the damsel in all the roads and towns.” Then he turned to Nimeh and said to him, “An thy slave-girl return not, I will give thee ten slave-girls from my house and ten from that of the chief of the police.” And he said to the latter, “Go and seek for the girl.” So he went out and Nimeh returned home, full of trouble and despairing of life. He had now reached the age of fourteen and there was yet no hair on his cheeks. He shut himself up from his household and ceased not to weep and lament, he and his mother, till the morning, when his father came in to him and said, “O my son, El Hejjaj hath put a cheat on the damsel and stolen her away; but from hour to hour God giveth relief.” But grief redoubled on Nimeh, so that he knew not what he said nor who came in to him, and indeed his charms were changed and he was in sorry case. In this plight he abode three months, till his father despaired of him, and the physicians visited him and said, “There is no cure for him but the damsel.” One day, Er Rebya heard tell of a skilful Persian physician, whom the folk gave out for accomplished in medicine and astrology and geomancy. So he sent for him and seating him by his side, entreated him with honour and said to him, “Look into my son’s case.” So he said to Nimeh, “Give me thy hand.” Accordingly, the young man gave him his