Page:The Perfumed Garden - Burton - 1886.djvu/52

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"What I shall now tell you," said the man, "is marvellous and surprising. I loved a woman, who loved me also, and we were united in love. These relations lasted a long while, until an old woman enticed my mistress and took her away to a house of misfortune, shame and debauchery. Then sleep fled from my couch; I have lost all my happiness, and I have fallen into the abyss of misfortune."

The King then said to him, "Which is that house of ill omen, and with whom is the woman?"

The man replied, "She is with a negro of the name of Dorerame, who has at his house women beautiful as the moon, the likes of whom the King has not in his place. He has a mistress who has a profound love for him, is entirely devoted to him, and who sends him all he wants in the way of silver, beverages and clothing."

Then the man stopped speaking. The King was much surprised at what he had heard, but the Vizir, who had not missed a word of this conversation, had certainly made out, from what the man had said that the negro was no other than his own.

The King requested the man to show him the house.

"If I show it you, what will you do?" asked the man. "You will see what I shall do," said the King. "You will not be able to do anything," replied the man, "for it is a place which must be respected and feared. If you want to enter it by force you will risk death, for its master is redoubtable by means of his strength and courage."

"Show me the place," said the King, "and have no fear." The man said, "So be it as God will!"

He then rose, and walked before them. They followed him to a wide street, where he stopped in front of a