Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/164

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As soon as it was dark, he busied himself with making ready the horses and waited till the first watch of the night was past, when he saddled them with saddles of the goodliest, and leading them forth of the stable, locked the door after him and repaired with them to the city-gate, where he sat down to await the princess’s coming.

Meanwhile, Meryem returned to her apartment, where she found the one-eyed vizier seated, leaning upon a cushion stuffed with ostrich-down; but he was ashamed to put out his hand to her or bespeak her. When she saw him, she appealed to God in her heart, saying, ‘O my God, bring him not to his will of me neither decree Thou to me defilement after purity!’ Then she went up to him and made a show of affection for him and sat down by his side and caressed him, saying, ‘O my lord, what is this aversion thou discoverest to me? Is it pride or coquetry on thy part? But the current byword saith, “If the salutation be little in demand, the sitters salute the standers.” So if, O my lord, thou come not to me neither accost me, I will go to thee and accost thee.’ ‘To thee belong favour and kindness, O queen of the earth in its length and breadth,’ answered he, ‘nor am I but one of thy slaves and the least of thy servants. Indeed, I was ashamed to intrude upon thine illustrious presence, O unique pearl, and my face is in the dust at thy feet.’ [sic] ‘Leave this talk,’ rejoined she, ‘and bring us to eat and drink.’

So he called to his eunuchs and women to bring food, and they set before them a tray containing birds of all kinds that walk and fly and couple in the nests, such as grouse and quails and pigeons and lambs and fat geese