Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/305

279 yet did thy hand lack of a para; how then should it be with poor dervishes?’ ‘God the Most High hath enabled us to do without them,’ answered Alaeddin; ‘but never again will I open the door to them.’ ‘Why so,’ asked she, ‘seeing that their coming brought us good luck, and moreover, they put a hundred dinars under the prayer-carpet for us every night? So needs must thou open to them, if they come.’ So when the day departed with its light and the night came, they lighted the candles and he said to her, ‘Come, Zubeideh, make us music.’ At this moment some one knocked at the door, and she said, ‘Go and see who is at the door.’ So he went down and opened it and seeing the dervishes, said, ‘Welcome to the liars! Come up.’ Accordingly, they went up with him, and he made them sit down and brought them the tray of food. So they ate and drank and made merry and presently said to him, ‘O my lord, our hearts have been troubled for thee: what hath passed between thee and thy father-in-law?’ ‘God hath compensated us beyond our desire,’ answered he. ‘By Allah,’ rejoined they, ‘we were in fear for thee and nought kept us from thee but our lack of money.’ Quoth he, ‘My Lord hath vouchsafed me speedy relief; for my father hath sent me fifty thousand dinars and fifty loads of stuffs, each worth a thousand dinars, besides an Abyssinian slave and a riding mule and a suit of clothes and a basin and an ewer of gold. Moreover, I have made my peace with my father-in-law and my wife is confirmed to me; so praised be God for this!’ Presently the Khalif rose to do an occasion; whereupon Jaafer turned to Alaeddin and said to him, ‘Look to thy manners, for thou art in the presence of the Commander of the Faithful.’ ‘How have I failed in good breeding before the Commander of the Faithful,’ asked he, ‘and which of you is he?’ Quoth Jaafer, ‘He who went out but now is the Commander of the Faithful and I am the Vizier Jaafer: