Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/331

303 ‘Is he at the door?’ asked Er Reshid; and she answered, ‘Yes.’

So the Khalif sent for him and he kissed the ground before him and wished him continuance of glory and prosperity. The Khalif marvelled at him and laughed at him and said to him, ‘O fisherman, wast thou in very earnest my partner yesterday?’ Khelifeh took his meaning and summoning courage, replied, ‘By Him who bestowed upon thee the succession to thine uncle’s son, I know her not in anywise and have had no commerce with her save by way of looking and talking!’ Then he told him all that had befallen him, since he last saw him, whereat the Khalif laughed and his breast dilated and he said to Khelifeh, ‘Ask of us what thou wilt, O thou that bringest folk their own!’ But he was silent; so the Khalif ordered him fifty thousand dinars and a sumptuous dress of honour from the royal wardrobe and a mule, and gave him black slaves to wait on him, so that he became as he were one of the kings of the time.

The Khalif was rejoiced at the recovery of his favourite and knew that this was of the doing of his wife Zubeideh, wherefore he was sore enraged against her and held aloof from her a great while, visiting her not neither relenting to her. When she was certified of this, she was sore concerned for his anger and her face paled, that was wont to be rosy, till, when her patience was exhausted, she sent a letter to her cousin, the Commander of the Faithful, making her excuses to him and confessing her offences, and ending with these verses:

I long once more thy sometime love and favour to regain, That therewithal I may assuage my sorrow and my pain. Pity the transport of my love and passion, O my lords! Sure I have suffered at your hands enough of dole and bane.