Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/43

31 Presently, he raised his head and saw her making signs to Mesrour and motioning to him with her eyebrows; wherefore he knew that he had been tricked and said, ‘ [sic]O my lord, excuse me awhile, till I fetch my kinsmen, so they may be present at our treaty of brotherhood.’ ‘Do what seemeth good to thee,’ answered Mesrour; whereupon the Jew went forth the house and returning privily by a back way, betook himself to a window that gave upon the saloon and whence he could watch them, unseen of them. Quoth Zein el Mewasif to her maid Sukoub, ‘Whither is thy master gone?’ And she said, ‘He is gone without the house.’ ‘Lock the door,’ said Zein, ‘and bar it with iron and open not till he knock, after thou hast told me.’ ‘So be it,’ answered Sukoub.

Then she rose and filling a cup with wine, flavoured with powdered musk and rose-water, went up to Mesrour, who rose to meet her, saying, ‘By Allah, the water of thy mouth is sweeter than this wine!’ ‘Here it is for thee,’ quoth she and filling her mouth with wine, gave him to drink thereof, whilst he did the like with her; after which she sprinkled him with rose-water from head to foot, till he scented the whole place. All this while, the Jew was looking on and marvelling at the greatness of the love that was between them, and his heart was filled with rage for what he saw and he was jealous with an exceeding jealousy. Then he went out again and coming to the door, found it locked and knocked loudly, of the excess of his anger; whereupon quoth Sukoub, ‘O my lady, here is my master.’ ‘Open to him,’ replied Zein el Mewasif; ‘would God had not brought him back in safety!’

So she went and opened the door to the Jew, who said to her, ‘What ailed thee to lock the door?’ Quoth she, ‘It hath never ceased to be locked thus during thine absence; nor hath it been opened night nor day.’ ‘Thou hast done well,’ answered he; ‘this pleases me.’ Then