Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/144

132 Meanwhile, Noureddin abode concealed behind the curtain, under cover of which Meryem and he had passed the night, till it was high day, when the [great] door was opened and the church became full of people. Then he mingled with the folk and accosted the old woman, who said to him, ‘Where didst thou lie last night?’ ‘In the town,’ answered he, ‘as thou badest me.’ ‘O my son,’ answered she, ‘thou didst well; for, hadst thou passed the night in the church, she had slain thee on the foulest wise.’ And he said, ‘Praised be God who hath delivered me from the peril of this night!’ Then he busied himself with the service of the church, till the day departed and the night came with the darkness, when he opened the offertory-chest and took thence of jewels what was light of weight and great of worth.

Then he waited till the first watch of the night was past, when he made his way to the postern and opening it, went forth, calling on God for protection, and fared on, till he came to the sea. Here he found the vessel moored to the shore, near the gate, with her captain, a tall old man of comely aspect, with a long beard, standing in the waist, surrounded by his ten men. Noureddin gave him his hand, as Meryem had bidden him, and the captain took it and pulling him on board, cried out to his crew, saying, ‘Cast off the moorings and put out to sea with us, ere the day break.’ ‘O my lord the captain,’ said one of the sailors, ‘how shall we put out now, when the king hath notified us that to-morrow he will embark in this ship and go round about this sea, being fearful for his daughter Meryem from the Muslim thieves?’ But the captain cried out at them, saying, ‘Woe to you, O accursed ones! Dare ye gainsay me and bandy words with me?’ So saying, he drew his sword and dealt the sailor who had spoken a thrust in the throat, that the steel came out gleaming from his nape, and quoth another of the sailors,