Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/128

116 He stops his ears and blinds his eyes and draws his wit From him, as one draws out the hairs to paste that cling, Till, His decrees fulfilled, He gives him back his wit, That therewithal he may receive admonishing. Say not of aught that haps, ‘How happened it?’ For fate And fortune fore-ordained do order everything.

Then he began to excuse himself to her, saying, ‘O my lady Meryem, verily the pen runneth with what God hath decreed. The folk put a cheat on me, to make me sell thee, and I fell into the snare and sold thee. Indeed, I have sorely failed of my duty to thee; but peradventure He who decreed our parting will vouchsafe us reunion.’ Quoth she, ‘I warned thee against this, for this it was I feared.’ Then she strained him to her bosom and kissed him between the eyes, reciting the following verses:

At this juncture, the Frank came in to them and went up to Meryem, to kiss her hands; but she dealt him a buffet on the cheek, saying, ‘Avaunt, O accursed one! Thou hast followed after me without cease, till thou hast tricked my lord into selling me! But please God, all shall yet be well.’ The Frank laughed at her speech and wondered at her deed and excused himself to her, saying, ‘O my lady Meryem, what is my offence? Thy lord Noureddin here sold thee of his full consent and of his free will. Had he loved thee, by the virtue of the Messiah, he had not transgressed against thee! And had he not accomplished his desire of thee, he had not sold thee. Quoth one of the poets: