Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/363

329 and lamented her daughter’s separation from the like of this man, by reason of his sufficiency and fortune and the greatness of his rank and estate.

On this wise, things abode some days, after which the old woman paid a visit to Muhziyeh in her mother’s house and saluted her affectionately, saying, “What ails thee, O my daughter, O my beloved one? Indeed, thou hast troubled my mind.” Then she went in to her mother and said to her, “O my sister, what is this about thy daughter and her husband? I hear he has put her away. What hath she done to call for this?” Quoth the mother, “Peradventure her husband will return to her by the virtue of thy prayers; so do thou pray for her, for thou art a constant faster and a stander up by night to pray.” Then the three women fell to talking and the old woman said to the damsel, “O my daughter, have no care, for, God willing, I will make peace between thee and thy husband before many days.” Then she left them and going to the young merchant, said to him, “Make ready a handsome entertainment for us, for I will bring her to thee this very night.” So he rose and provided all that was fitting of meat and drink and so forth and sat down to await them; whilst the old woman returned to the girl’s mother and said to her, “O my sister, we make a splendid bride-feast to-night; so let thy daughter go with me, that she may divert herself and make merry with us and forget her troubles; and I will bring her back to thee even as I took her away.” So the mother dressed her daughter in her finest clothes and jewels and accompanied her to the door, where she commended her to the old woman’s care, saying, “Look thou let none of the creatures of God the Most High see her, for thou knowest her husband’s rank with the Khalif; and do not tarry, but bring her back to me as soon as possible.”

The old woman carried the girl to the young man’s house, and she entered, thinking it the place where the