Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/233

203 of royal apparel, he betook himself to the king’s divan. All who were there rose to him and received him with honour and worship, giving him joy and calling down blessings upon him; and he sat down by the king’s side and said, ‘Where is the treasurer?’ ‘Here he is, before thee,’ answered they, and he said to him, ‘Bring dresses of honour for all the viziers and amirs and dignitaries and clothe them therewith.’ The treasurer brought him all he sought and he sat giving to all who came to him and handselling every man, according to his station.

On this wise he abode twenty days, whilst no baggage appeared for him nor aught else, till the treasurer was straitened by him to utterance and going in to the king, as he sat alone with the vizier in Marouf’s absence, kissed the earth before him and said, ‘O king of the age, needs must I tell thee somewhat, lest thou blame me for that I acquainted thee not therewith. Know that the treasury is [well-nigh] exhausted; there is but a little money left in it and in ten days more we shall shut it upon emptiness.’ Quoth the king to the vizier, ‘O vizier, verily my son-in-law’s baggage-train tarrieth long and there appeareth no news thereof.’ The vizier laughed and said, ‘God be gracious to thee, O king of the age! Verily, thou hast dealt but heedlessly with respect to this lying impostor. As thy head liveth, there is no baggage for him, no, nor a plague to rid us of him! Nay, he hath but imposed on thee without cease, so that he hath wasted thy treasures and married thy daughter for nought. How long therefore wilt thou be heedless of this liar?’

Then said the king, ‘O vizier, how shall we do to learn the truth of his case?’ ‘O king of the age,’ answered the vizier, ‘none may come at a man’s secret but his wife; so send for thy daughter and let her come behind the