Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/337

309 canst pass the night in a tavern or with one of thy friends.’ Quoth he, ‘Why dost thou send me forth of the church?’ and she replied, ‘The princess Husn Meryem, daughter of Youhenna, King of the city, purposes this night to pay a visit to the church, and it befits not that any abide in her way.’ So he rose and made a show of obeying her and of leaving the church; but he said in himself, ‘I wonder whether the princess is like our women or fairer than they! Algates, I will not go till I have had a sight of her.’ So he hid himself in a closet with a window looking into the church, and as he watched, in came the King’s daughter. He cast one glance at her, that cost him a thousand sighs, for she was like the full moon, when it emerges from the clouds; and with her was a damsel, to whom he heard her say, ‘O Zubeideh, thy company is grateful to me.’ So he looked straitly at the damsel and found her to be none other than his wife, Zubeideh the Lutanist, whom he thought dead. Then the princess said to Zubeideh, ‘Play us an air on the lute.’ But she answered, ‘I will make no music for thee, till thou grant my wish and fulfil thy promise to me.’ ‘And what did I promise thee?’ asked the princess. ‘That thou wouldst reunite me with my husband Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat,’ said Zubeideh. ‘O Zubeideh,’ rejoined the princess, ‘be of good cheer and play us an air, as a thank-offering for reunion with thy husband.’ ‘Where is he?’ asked Zubeideh, and Meryem replied, ‘He is in yonder closet, listening to us.’ So Zubeideh played a measure on the lute, that would have made a rock dance; which when Alaeddin heard, his entrails were troubled and he came forth and throwing himself upon his wife, strained her to his bosom. She also knew him and they embraced and fell down in a swoon. Then came the princess and sprinkled rose-water on them, till they revived, when she said to