Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/244

222 thou art her very self in thy speech and the fairness of thy favour and the brilliancy of thy forehead.’

When the queen heard this, she smiled and gloried in her beauty and grace and her cheeks reddened and her eyes wantoned; then she turned to Shewahi and said to her, ‘O my mother, carry him back to the place where he was with thee and tend him thyself, till I examine into his affair; for, if he be indeed a man of worth and mindful of friendship and love and affection, it behoveth us to help him to his desire, more by token that he hath taken up his abode in our country and eaten of our victual, to say nought of the hardships of travel he hath suffered and the horrors and perils he hath undergone. But, when thou hast brought him to thy house, commend him to thy servants’ care and return to me in all haste; and God willing, all shall be well.’

So Shewahi carried him back to her lodging and charged her servants and women wait upon him and bring him all he needed nor fail in that which was his due. Then she returned to Nour el Huda, who bade her don her arms and set out, taking with her a thousand stout horsemen, for the city of the Supreme King, her father, there to alight at the abode of her youngest sister, Menar es Sena, and say to her, ‘Clothe thy two sons in the coats of mail that their aunt hath made them and send them to her; for she longeth for them.’ Moreover the queen charged her keep Hassan’s affair secret and say to Menar es Sena, ‘Thy sister inviteth thee to visit her.’

‘Then,’ continued she, ‘take the children and bring them to me in haste and let her follow at her leisure. Do thou come by a road other than hers and journey night and day and beware of discovering this matter to any. And I swear by all possible oaths that, if my sister prove to be his wife and it appear that her children are his, I will not hinder him from taking her and them and departing