Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/98

86 him between the eyes and on the mole of his cheek. Then she gave him all she had put off, saying, ‘O beloved of my heart, the gift is after the measure of the giver’s capacity.’ So he accepted this from her and gave it back to her and kissed her on the mouth and cheeks and eyes.

When this was done, (for nought endureth save God, the Living, the Eternal, Provider of the peacock and the owl), Noureddin rose from the place of session and stood upon his feet, for the darkness was now fallen and the stars shone out; whereupon quoth the damsel to him, ‘Whither away, O my lord?’ And he said, ‘To my father’s house.’ Then the sons of the merchants conjured him to pass the night with them, but he refused and mounting his mule, rode, without stopping, till he reached his father’s house, where his mother met him and said to him, ‘O my son, what hath kept thee abroad till this hour? By Allah, thou hast troubled thy father and myself by thine absence from us, and our hearts have been occupied with thee.’ Then she came up to him, to kiss him on his mouth, and smelling the fumes of the wine, said, ‘O my son, how is this? Art thou, after prayer and worship, become a wine-bibber and a transgressor of His word to whom belong creation and commandment?’ But Noureddin threw himself down on the bed and lay there.

Presently in came his father and said, ‘What ails Noureddin to lie thus?’ And his mother answered, saying, ‘It would seem his head irketh him for the air of the garden.’ So Tajeddin went up to his son, to question him of his ailment and salute him, and smelt the wine he had drunk. Now he loved not wine-drinkers; so he said to Noureddin, ‘Out on thee, O my son! Is folly come to such a pass with thee, that thou drinkest wine?’ When Noureddin heard this, he raised his hand, being yet in his drunkenness, and dealt him a buffet. As