Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/131

119 all returned to him, crying out and saying, ‘Alas!’ and ‘Ruin!’ and ‘Woe worth the day!’ after having searched the islands of the Muslims and come on no tidings of her. The king grieved for her with an exceeding grief and sent after her that one-eyed lameter, for that he was his chief vizier, a stubborn tyrant and a froward devil, full of craft and guile, bidding him make search for her in all the lands of the Muslims and buy her, though with a shipload of gold. So the accursed wretch sought her in all the lands of the seas and all the cities of the Muslims, but found no sign of her till he came to Alexandria, when he discovered that she was with Noureddin Ali of Cairo, being directed to the trace of her by the kerchief aforesaid, [in which he recognized her handiwork,] for that none could have wrought it on such goodly wise but she. Then he bribed the merchants to help him in getting her from Noureddin and beguiled the latter into selling her, as hath been already related.

When he had her in his possession, she ceased not to weep and lament: so he said to her, ‘O my lady Meryem, put away from thee this mourning and weeping and return with me to thy father’s city, the seat of thy royalty and the place of thy power and thy home, so thou mayst be among thy servants and attendants and be quit of this abasement and strangerhood. Enough hath betided me of travel and weariness and expense on thine account, for thy father bade me buy thee back, though with a shipload of gold; and now I have spent nigh a year and a half in travel and toil and lavishment of wealth.’ And he fell to kissing her feet and hands and humbling himself to her; but she only redoubled in wrath against him, for all he