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 moaning himself. And on the sixth day the Shaykh came forth clad in white raiment and signed him to enter. And the old man went with him half a day's journey, till they reached an arched doorway with a door of steel. This the Shaykh opened, and they entered a vestibule vaulted with onyx stones and arabesqued with gold, and they stayed not till they came to a great wide hall of marble. In the midst was a flower garden containing all manner of flowers and fruits, with birds singing on the boughs. And there were four daises facing each other, in each a jetting fountain, at the corners of which were lions of red gold. On each dais was a chair, whereon sat an elder with many books before him, and censers of gold containing fire and perfumes, and before each elder were students who read the books to him.

Now when the two entered the elders rose and did them honor; whereupon Abu al-Ruwaysh signed to them to dismiss their scholars, and they did so. Then the four arose, and seating themselves before the Shaykh, asked him of the case of Hasan. Then Hasan told them all that had befallen him from first to last, and the Shaykh begged them to help him to recover his wife and children. Then Abu al-Ruwaysh wrote a letter, which he gave to Hasan with a pouch of perfumed leather containing incense and fire sticks, saying: "Whenas thou fallest into any strait, burn a little of the incense and name my name, whereupon I will be with thee and save thee from thy stress." Then he bade