Page:The Perfumed Garden - Burton - 1886.djvu/60

44, "God be praised and glorified!" Then he said, "I can only get out of here by a ruse." Then feigning sickness, and appearing as if he wanted to vomit violently, he held his hand before his mouth, and hurried to the centre of the courtyard. The negro said to him, "God bless you! oh, so-and-so! any other women would have been sick into the bed!"

The King then went to the inner door of the house, and opened it; he closed it behind him, and so from one door to the other, till he came to the seventh, which opened upon the street. Here he found his companions again, who had been in great anxiety, and who asked him what he had seen?

Then said the King: "This is not the time to answer. Let us go into this house with the blessing of God and with his help."

They resolved to be upon their guard, there being in the house seven negroes, twelve maidens and seven women, beautiful as moons.

The Vizir asked the King, "What garments are these?" And the King answered, "Be silent; without them I should never have got the keys."

He then went to the chamber where the two women were, with whom he had been lying, took off the clothes in which he was dressed, and resumed his own, taking good care of his sword. He then went to the saloon, where the negroes and the women were, and he and his companions ranged themselves behind the door-curtain.

After having had a look into the saloon, they said, "Amongst all these women there is none more beautiful than the one seated on the elevated cushion!" The King