Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/90

72 O dervish!’ But he said in himself, ‘If he be enamoured of the boy and require him of lewdness, needs must I slay him this night and bury him secretly. But, if there be no lewdness in him, the guest shall eat his portion.’

Then he brought him into a saloon, where he left him with Kemerezzeman, after he had said privily to the latter, ‘O my son, when I am gone out, sit thou beside the dervish and sport with him and provoke him to dalliance. I will watch you from the window overlooking the saloon, and if he seek of thee lewdness, I will come down to him and slay him.’ So, as soon as Kemerezzeman was alone with the dervish, he sat down by him, and the latter began to look upon him and sigh and weep. Whenever the lad spoke to him, he answered him kindly, trembling the while and groaning and sobbing, and thus he did till the evening mealevening-meal [sic] was brought in, when he fell to eating, with his eyes on Kemerezzeman, but stinted not from weeping. When a fourth part of the night was past and talk was ended and the time of sleep come, Abdurrehman said to the lad, ‘O my son, apply thyself to the service of thine uncle the dervish and gainsay him not:not; [sic]’ and would have gone out; but the dervish said to him, ‘O my lord, carry thy son with thee or sleep with us.’ ‘Nay,’ answered the merchant; ‘my son shall lie with thee: peradventure thy soul may desire somewhat, and he will do thine occasion and wait upon thee.’ Then he went out and sat down in an adjoining room, wherein was a window giving upon the saloon.

As soon as he had left them, the lad came up to the dervish and began to provoke him and make advances to him, whereupon he waxed wroth and said, ‘What talk is this, O my son? I take refuge with God from Satan the Stoned! O my God, indeed this is an iniquity that pleaseth Thee not! Hold off from me, O my son!’ So saying, he arose and sat down at a distance; but the boy