Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/203

 richness of the apparel of his wife and the fine raiment of her children; and kept saying each to other, "Verily, the King of Baghdad hath no such gear; no, nor any other of the kings or lords or merchants!" So they ceased not to fare forwards in high great state, the men with Ali of Cairo and the Harims with his Harim, till they came to the mansion,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Four Hundred and Thirtieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that they ceased not to fare forwards in high state, the men with Ali's men and the women with his wife, till they came to the mansion, where they alighted and brought the mules and their burdens into the midst of the courtyard. Then they unloaded them and warehoused the goods whilst the merchants' wives went up with Ali's family to the saloon, which they found as it were a luxuriant garden, spread with magnificent furniture. They sat in mirth and good cheer till noon, when they brought them up the midday meal, all manner meats and sweetmeats of the very best; and they ate and drank costly sherbets and perfumed themselves thereafter with rose-water and scented woods. Then they took leave and went home, men and women; and, when the merchants returned to their places, they sent presents to the husband according to their conditions; and their wives likewise sent presents to the wife, so that there came to them great store of handmaids and negroes and Mamelukes; and all kinds of goods, such as grain, sugar and so forth, in abundance beyond account. As for the Baghdad merchant, the landlord of the house, he abode with Ali and quitted him not, but said to him, "Let the black slaves and servants take the mules and the common cattle into one of my other houses, to rest." Quoth Ali, "They set out again to-night for such a place." Then he gave them leave to go forth and camp outside the city, that they might start on their journey at night-come; whereupon, hardly believing that they were dismissed, they took leave of him and departing to the outliers of the city, flew off through the air to their several abodes. So Ali and his house-owner sat together till a third of the night was past, when their colloquy ended and the merchant returned to his own house and Ali went up to his wife and children and after saluting them, said, "