Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/147

135 The princess marvelled at his song and thanked him therefor, saying, ‘Him whose case is thus it behoveth to walk the ways of men and eschew the fashion of losels and poltroons.’ Now she was stout of heart and versed in the sailing of ships over the salt sea, and she knew all the winds and their changes and all the courses of the sea. ‘O my lady,’ said Noureddin, ‘hadst thou prolonged this case on me, I had surely died for excess of fear and chagrin, more by token of the fire of passion and love-longing and the cruel anguish of separation.’ She laughed at his speech and presently rising, brought out somewhat of meat and drink; and they ate and drank and made merry. Then she brought out rubies and other gems and precious stones and trinkets of gold and silver and all manner things of price, light of carriage and great of worth, that she had taken from the palace of her father and his treasuries, and showed them to Noureddin, who rejoiced therein with an exceeding joy.

Meanwhile the wind blew fair for them and they sailed on, without hindrance, till they drew near the city of Alexandria and sighted its landmarks, old and new, and Pompey’s Pillar. When they reached the port, Noureddin landed and making the ship fast to one of the Fulling-Stones, took somewhat of the treasures that Meryem had brought with her, and said to her, ‘O my lady, abide in the ship against I [return and] carry thee up into the city on such wise as I should wish.’ Quoth she, ‘It behoves that this be done quickly, for tardiness in affairs engenders repentance.’ ‘There is no tardiness in me,’ answered he and leaving her in the ship, went up into the city to the druggist’s house, to borrow of his wife for Meryem veil and muffler and mantle and walking boots, after the usage of the women of Alexandria, knowing not that there was