Page:Three crump twin-brothers of Damascus.pdf/8

 8 HISTORY OF THE THREE ſtay there almoſt three weeks, their money waſ ſoon gone, and they reduced to their former want not knowing how to live, in ſpite of the fever prohibition they had received from Babekan, the reſolved to go back to Bagdad: they went to their former landlady, and begged her to go once mom to their brother, in order to perſuade him, if the could, to take them into his houſe, or at leaſt to give them a little money to defray the charge of their journey. The poor woman could not reſufe to do them that ſervice; ſhe went to Babekan's houſe, and being informed at his ſhop that he had been gone twelve days to Balfora, to fetch ſeveral bales of merchandizes, ſhe returned immediately to tell this news to her gueſts, who were fo hard preſſed by their neceſſity, that they went themſelves to implore the aſſiſtance of their brother's wife. Nohoud could not help knowing them, they reſembled Babekan ſo exactly, that there was no body but who would have miſtaken each of them apart for him ; but though he had ſo ſtrictly com- manded her not to let them into her houſe, ſhe was touched with their poverty and tears, the entertained them, and ſet ſome victuals before them. It was now dark night; and Ibad and Syahouk had ſcarce satisfied their firſt hunger, when ſomebody rattled at the door; the voice of Babekan, who was not to have returned in three days longer, was a thunder-bolt to his wife and brothers; they turned as pale as death, and No- houd, who did not know where to put them, to conceal them from her huſband's fury, thought at laſt of hiding them in a little cellar behind five or ſix tubs of brandy. Babekan grew impatient at the door; he knock- ed louder and louder every moment; at laſt it was opened