Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/195

169 Accursed tempted us and covetise deluded us: but our Lord hath requited us after our deserts, and forgiveness is of the fashion of the generous.’ And they went on to supplicate their brother and weep and profess repentance for that which they had done.

Then said he to them, ‘What did ye with my wife whom I brought from the City of Stone?’ Quoth they, ‘When Satan tempted us and we cast thee into the sea, there befell strife between us, each saying, “I will have her to wife.” Which when she heard, she came up from the cabin and said to us, “Contend not because of me, for I will not belong to either of you. My husband is gone into the sea and I will follow him.” So saying, she cast herself overboard and died.’ ‘Verily,’ exclaimed Abdallah, ‘she died a martyr! But there is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme!’ Then he wept sore for her and said to his brothers, ‘It was not well of you to do this thing and bereave me of my wife!’ And they answered, ‘Indeed, we have sinned, but our Lord hath requited us our deed and this was a thing that God decreed unto us, ere He created us.’ And he accepted their excuse; but Saïdeh said to him, ‘Have they done all these things to thee and wilt thou forgive them?’ ‘O my sister,’ answered he, ‘whoso hath power and spareth, his reward is with God.’ Then said she, ‘Be on thy guard against them, for they are traitors.’ And she took leave of him and went away.

Abdallah and his brothers passed the rest of the night in eating and drinking and merriment and good cheer, and on the morrow, he sent them to the bath and clad