Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/118

106 Lo, when two hearts are straitly knit in passion and desire, But on cold iron smite the folk that chide at them in vain. Thou that for loving censurest the votaries of love, Canst thou assain a mind diseased or heal a cankered brain? If in thy time thou find but one to love thee and be true, I rede thee cast the world away and with that one remain.

When the morning appeared and gave forth its light and shone, Noureddin awoke from sleep and found that she had brought water: so they washed, he and she, and he acquitted that which behoved him of prayer to his Lord, after which she brought him meat and drink, and he ate and drank. Then she put her hand under her pillow and pulling out the girdle, gave it to Noureddin, who said, ‘Whence cometh this girdle?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered she, ‘it is the silk thou boughtest yesterday for twenty dirhems. Rise now and go to the Persian bazaar and give it to the broker, to cry for sale, and sell it not for less than twenty dinars, money down.’ ‘O princess of fair ones,’ said Noureddin, ‘how can a thing, that cost twenty dirhems and will sell for as many dinars, be made in a single night?’ ‘O my lord,’ replied she, ‘thou knowest not its value; but go to the market and give it to the broker, and when he cries it, its worth will appear to thee.’

So he carried the girdle to the market and gave it to the broker, bidding him cry it, whilst he himself sat down on a bench before a shop. After awhile, the broker returned and said to him, ‘O my lord, rise and take the price of thy girdle, for it hath fetched twenty dinars.’ When Noureddin heard this, he marvelled exceedingly and shook with delight. Then he rose, between belief and disbelief, to take the money and when he had received it, he spent it all on silk of various colours and returning home, gave the silk to the damsel, saying, ‘Make this all