Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 4.djvu/145

 claimeth guest right for three days and if I return after this, ye are free to spill my blood.' Then we passed the night as before; and when the time of departure drew near, I bethought me that Al Maamun would assuredly question me nor would ever be content save with a full explanation: so I said to her, 'I see thee to be of those who delight in singing. Now I have a cousin, the son of my father's brother, who is fairer than I in face and higher of rank and better of breeding; and he is the most intimate of Allah's creatures with Isaac.' Quoth she, 'Art thou a parasite and an importunate one?' Quoth I, 'It is for thee to decide in this matter;' and she, 'If thy cousin be as thou hast described him, it would not mislike us to make acquaintance with him.' Then, as the time was come, I left her and returned to my house, but hardly had I reached it, ere the Caliph's runners came down on me and carried me before him by main force and roughly enough."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Eighty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Isaac of Mosul continued, "And hardly had I reached my house ere the Caliph's runners came down upon me and carried me before him by main force and roughly enough. I found him seated on a chair, wroth with me, and he said to me, 'O Isaac, art thou a traitor to thine allegiance?' replied I, 'No, by Allah, O Commander of the Faithful!' and he rejoined, 'What hast thou then to say? tell me the whole truth;' and I, 'Yes, I will, but in private.' So he signed to his attendants, who withdrew to a distance, and I told him the case, adding, 'I promised her to bring thee,' and he said, 'Thou didst well.' Then we spent the day in our usual-pleasures, but Al-Maamun's heart was taken up with her, and hardly was the appointed time come, when we set out. As we went along, I cautioned him, saying, 'Look that thou call me not by my name before her; and I will demean myself like