Page:The Harvard Classics Vol. 16.djvu/214

 one of them rose, and, looking towards him, said to him, O my master, I desire that thou wouldst permit me to departWhy thus depart to-day? said Nur-ed-Din. His guest answered, My wife is to give birth to a child this night, and it is impossible for me to be absent from her: I desire, therefore, to go and see her. And he gave him leave. Then another rose, and said to him, O my master Nur-ed-Din, I desire to-day to visit my brother; for he celebrateth the circumcision of his son. Thus each of them asked leave of him deceitfully, and went his way, until all had departed.

So 'Ali Nur-ed-Din remained alone; and he called his slave girl, and said to her, O Enis-el-Jelis, seest thou not what hath befallen me? And he related to her what the steward had told him. She replied, O my master, for some nights past, I have been anxious to speak to thee of this affair; but I heard thee reciting these two verses:

When fortune is liberal to thee, be thou liberal to all others before she escape from thee:

For liberality will not annihilate thy wealth when she is favourable; nor avarice preserve it when she deserteth thee. And when I heard thee repeat these words, I was silent, and would not make any remark to theeO Enis-el-Jelis, he rejoined, thou knowest that I have not expended my wealth but on my companions; and I do not think that they will abandon me without reliefBy Allah, said she, they will be of no use to thee. But he said, I will immediately arise and go to them, and knock at their doors; perhaps I shall obtain from them something which I will employ as a capital wherewith to trade, and I will cease from diversion and sport. So he arose instantly, and proceeded without stopping until he arrived at the by-street in which his ten companions resided; for they all lived in that same street: and he advanced to the first door, and knocked; and there came forth to him a slave-girl, who said to him, Who art thou? He answered, Say to thy master,'Ali Nur-ed-Din is standing at the door, and saith to thee, Thy slave kisseth thy hands, looking for a favour from thee.And the girl entered and acquainted her master; but he called out to her, saying, Return, and tell him, He is not hereThe girl,