Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/68

56 Thereupon he returned to his place, pondering in himself and knowing not how he should do in her affair, and passed the night in very sorry case. But, as soon as it was dark night, Zein el Mewasif arose and said to her maids, ‘Come, [let us depart hence], for we cannot avail against forty men, monks, each of whom requireth me of himself.’ ‘Willingly,’ answered they. So they mounted their beasts and issuing forth of the convent gate, under favour of the night, rode on till they overtook a caravan, with which they mingled and found it came from the city of Aden. Presently, Zein el Mewasif heard the people of the caravan discoursing of her own case and telling how the Cadis and assessors were dead of love for her and how the townsfolk had appointed others in their stead and released her husband from prison. Whereupon she turned to her maids and said to them, ‘Heard ye that?’ And Huboub answered, ‘If the monks were ravished with love of thee, whose belief it is that to abstain from women is to do God worship, how should it be with the Cadis, who hold that there is no monkery in Islam? But let us make our way to our own country, whilst our affair is yet undiscovered.’ So they journeyed on with all diligence.

On the morrow, as soon as it was day, the monks repaired to Zein el Mewasif’s lodging, to salute her, but found the place empty, and their hearts sank within them. So the first monk rent his clothes and recited these verses: