Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 4.djvu/344

314 ourselves with thee, without having suffered any hurt.’ [sic] ‘Who gave you these clothes?’ asked he, and she said, ‘The chief of the caravan opened one of the chests on the mules and taking out the clothes, clad me and the children each in a suit; after which he locked the chest and gave me the key, saying, “Take care of it, till thou give it to thy husband.” And here it is, safe.’ So saying, she gave him the key, and he said, ‘Dost thou know the chest?’ ‘Yes,’ answered she. So he took her down to the magazine and she pointed it out, whereupon he put the key in the lock and opened the chest, in which he found much raiment and the keys of all the other chests. So he took them out and fell to opening the other chests, one after another, and feasting his eyes upon the jewels and precious metals they contained, whose like was not found with any of the kings; after which he locked them again and took the keys, saying to his wife, ‘This is of the bounty of God the Most High.’

Then he returned with her to the saloon and bringing her to the secret panel, pressed the knob and opened the door of the closet into which he entered with her and showed her the gold he had laid up there. Quoth she, ‘Whence hadst thou all this?’ ‘It came to me by the grace of my Lord,’ answered he and told her all that had befallen him, from first to last. ‘O my lord,’ said she, ‘all this comes of the blessing of thy father’s prayers, whenas he prayed for thee, before his death, saying, “I beseech God to cast thee into no strait, except He bring thee speedy deliverance [therefrom]!” So praised be God the Most High for that He hath brought thee relief and hath requited thee with more than thou didst lose! But God on thee, O my lord, return not to thy sometime fashion and companying with folk of lewd life; but look thou fear God the Most High, both in public and private!’ And she went on to admonish him. Quoth he, ‘I accept thine