Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/25

13 candlesticks, and they set on candlesticks and candles therein of camphorated wax.

Then said she, ‘By Allah, my breast is straitened to nightto-night [sic] and I am fevered.’ Quoth Mesrour, ‘May God dilate thy breast and do away thy trouble!’ And she said, ‘O Mesrour, I am used to play at chess: knowest thou aught of the game?’ ‘Yes,’ answered he, ‘I am skilled therein;’ whereupon she bade her maid Huboub fetch her the chessboard. So she went away and presently returning with the board, set it before her, and behold, it was of ebony inlaid with ivory, with squares traced out in glittering gold, and its pieces were of pearl and ruby. Mesrour was amazed at this and she said to him, ‘Wilt thou have red or white?’ ‘O princess of fair ones and adornment of the morning,’ answered he, ‘do thou take the red, for they are handsome and fitter for the like of thee, and leave me the white.’ ‘So be it,’ answered she and taking the red pieces, ranged them opposite the white, then put out her hand to make the first move.

He looked at her fingers, which were white as paste, and was confounded at their beauty and elegant shape; whereupon she turned to him and said, ‘O Mesrour, be not bewildered, but take patience and calm thyself.’ ‘O thou whose beauty puts the moons to shame,’ answered he, ‘how shall a lover look on thee and have patience?’ ‘Checkmate!’ said she and beat him; wherefore she knew that he was mad for love of her and said to him, ‘O Mesrour, I will not play with thee save for a set stake.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered he and she said, ‘Swear to me and I will swear to thee that neither of us will cheat the other.’ So they swore this and she said, ‘O Mesrour, if I beat thee, I will have ten dinars of thee, and if thou beat me, I will give thee nothing.’ ‘O my lady,’ rejoined