Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/122

102 since thou deemest thus of me, henceforth I will never again break bread with thee nor drink water, for I loathe thee with the loathing of prohibition.’

So he spoke her fair and excused himself to her till he appeased her and returned, repenting him of having bespoken her thus, to his shop, where he sat, in sore disquiet and exceeding anxiety, between belief and disbelief, till eventide. Then he went home, but brought not Kemerezzeman with him; whereupon quoth his wife, ‘Where is the merchant?’ And he said, ‘In his house.’ ‘Is the friendship between thee and him grown cold?’ asked she. ‘By Allah,’ replied he, ‘I have taken an aversion to him, because of that which hath betided me from him.’ Quoth she, ‘Go and fetch him, to please me.’ So he arose and went in to Kemerezzeman in his house, where he saw his own goods strewn about and knew them. At this sight, fire was kindled in his heart and he fell asighing. Quoth Kemerezzeman, ‘How is it that I see thee melancholy?’ Ubeid was ashamed to say, ‘Here are my goods in thy house: who brought them hither?’ So he answered only, ‘A vexation hath betided me; but come thou with me to my house, that we may divert ourselves there.’ ‘Let me be in my place,’ said Kemerezzeman. ‘I will not go with thee.’ But the jeweller conjured him [to come] and taking him, [carried him to his house,] where they supped and passed the evening together, Kemerezzeman talking with the jeweller, who was drowned in the sea of solicitude and answered him but one word for a hundred wherewith he bespoke him.

Presently, the maid brought them two cups of drink, as usual, and they drank; whereupon Ubeid fell asleep, but Kemerezzeman abode on wake, for that his cup was not drugged. Then came Helimeh and said to her lover,