Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/344

314 than a whole year’s revenue of her father’s kingdom, said to the old woman, ‘O my nurse, comes this dress from him or another?’ ‘From him,’ answered she; and Heyat en Nufous said, ‘Is he of our town or a stranger?’ ‘He is a stranger,’ replied the old woman, ‘newly come hither; and he hath slaves and servants and is fair of face, symmetrical of shape, well-mannered, open-handed and open-hearted, never saw I a goodlier than he, except thyself.’

‘O my nurse,’ rejoined the princess, ‘this is an extraordinary thing, that a dress like this, which money cannot buy, should be in the hands of a merchant! What price did he set on it?’ ‘He would set no price on it,’ answered the old woman, ‘but gave me back the money thou sentest by me and swore that he would take nought thereof, saying, ‘“ [sic]It is a gift from me to the King’s daughter; for it beseemeth none but her; and if she will not accept it, I make thee a present of it.’”’ [sic] ‘By Allah,’ said the princess, ‘this is indeed rare liberality and wonderful munificence! But I fear the issue of his affair, lest he be brought to necessity. Why didst thou not ask him, O my nurse, if he had any desire, that we might fulfil it for him?’ ‘O my lady,’ answered the nurse, ‘I did ask him, and he said to me, “I have indeed a desire,” but would not tell me what it was. However, he gave me this letter and said, “Carry it to the princess.”’ So Heyat en Nufous took the letter and opened and read it; whereupon she was sore chafed and changing colour for anger, cried out to the old woman, saying, ‘Out on thee, O nurse! What is the name of this dog who dares to write thus to a king’s daughter? What affinity is there between him and me, that this dog should address me thus? By the great God, Lord of the well Zemzem and of the Kaabeh, but that I fear God the Most High, I would send and bind the dog’s hands behind him and slit his nostrils and cut off his nose