Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/288

260 place, set in each estrade a table of meat and wine. Then she went out and stood at the door, with her face uncovered.

Presently, up came Ali Kitf and his men, and she kissed his hand. He fell in love with her, seeing her to be a handsome girl, and said to her, ‘What dost thou want?’ Quoth she, ‘Art thou Captain Ahmed ed Denef?’ ‘No,’ answered he; ‘but I am of his company and my name is Ali Kitf el Jemel.’ ‘Whither go you?’ asked she, and he said, ‘We go in quest of a sharkish old woman, who has stolen the people’s goods, and we mean to lay hands on her. But who art thou and what is thy business?’ Quoth she, ‘My father was a vintner at Mosul and he died and left me much money. So I came hither, for fear of the judges, and asked the people who would protect me, to which they replied, “None but Ahmed et Denef”’ ‘From this day forth,’ said the men, ‘thou art under his protection;’ and she said, ‘Favour me by eating a morsel and drinking a draught.’ They consented and entering, ate and drank till they were drunken, when she drugged them with henbane and stripped them of their clothes and arms; and on like wise she did with the three other companies.

Presently, Ahmed ed Denef went out to look for Delileh, but found her not, neither set eyes on any of his followers, and went on till he came to the door where Zeyneb was standing. She kissed his hand and he looked on her and fell in love with her. Quoth she, ‘Art thou Captain Ahmed ed Denef?’ ‘Yes,’ answered he. ‘Who art thou?’ And she said, ‘I am a stranger. My father was a vintner at Mosul and he died and left me much wealth, with which I came to this city, for fear of the judges, and opened this wine-shop. The Master of police hath imposed a tax on me, but it is my desire to put myself under thy protection and pay thee what the police would take of me, for thou hast the better right to it.’ Quoth he, ‘Thou shalt have