Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/260

228 acquainted him with his case; and they sat weeping over that which had befallen them and found neither meat nor drink.

As for the vizier, he went forth from the garden and summoning all the troops, held a court and told them what he had done with the king and Marouf and acquainted them with the affair of the ring, adding, ‘Except ye make me Sultan over you, I will bid the servant of the ring take you all up and cast you down in the desert quarter of the world, where you shall die of hunger and thirst.’ ‘Do us no hurt,’ answered they; ‘for we accept thee to Sultan over us and will not any wise gainsay thy commandment.’ So they agreed, in their own despite, to his being Sultan over them, and he bestowed on them robes of honour, seeking all he had a mind to of Aboussaadat, who brought it to him forthright. Then he sat down on the throne and the troops made submission to him; and he sent to the king’s daughter, saying, ‘Make thee ready, for I mean to come in to thee this night, because I long for thee.’

When she heard this, she wept, for [the loss of] her husband and father was grievous to her, and sent to him, saying, ‘Have patience with me till my days of widowhood are accomplished: then draw up thy contract of marriage with me and go in to me according to law.’ But he sent back to say to her, ‘I know neither days of widowhood nor delay, and I need not a contract nor know I lawful from unlawful; but needs must I go in to thee this night.’ So she answered him, saying, ‘So be it, then, and welcome to thee!’ But this was a trick on her part. When the answer reached the vizier, he rejoiced and his heart was gladdened, for that he was passionately enamoured of her. So he bade set food before all the folk, saying, ‘Eat; this is my bride-feast; for I purpose