Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/224

196 Hardly had he left him, when Younus bethought himself and knew that he had erred in selling her and said in himself, ‘What have I done? I have delivered my slave-girl to a man with whom I am unacquainted, neither know I who he is; and grant that I did know him, how am I to get at him?’ So he abode absorbed in anxious thought, till the morning, when he prayed the appointed prayers and his companions entered Damascus, whilst he sat, perplexed and knowing not what to do, till the sun scorched him and he misliked to abide there and thought to enter the city, but said in himself, ‘If I enter Damascus, I cannot be sure but that the messenger will come and find me not, in which case I shall have sinned against myself a second time.’ So he sat down in the shade of a wall that was there, and towards end of day, up came one of the servants whom he had seen with the young man, at sight of whom great joy possessed Younus and he said in himself, ‘I know not that aught hath ever given me more delight than the sight of this servant.’ When the man reached him, he said to him, ‘O my lord, we have kept thee long waiting;’ but Younus said nothing to him of the anxiety he had suffered. Then said the servant, ‘Knowest thou the man who bought the girl of thee?’ ‘No,’ answered Younus, and the servant said, ‘It was Welid ben Sehl the Heir Apparent.’ And Younus was silent.

Then the other made him mount a horse he had with him and they rode till they came to a house, where they dismounted and entered. Here Younus found the damsel, who sprang up at his sight and saluted him. He asked her how she had fared with him who had bought her and she said, ‘He lodged me in this apartment and ordered me all I wanted.’ Then he sat with her awhile, till one of the servants of the master of the house came in and bade him