When it was the One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Night

Shahrazad continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
Aziz pursued to Taj al-Muluk: Then I entered the flower garden
and made for the pavilion, where I found the daughter of Dalilah
the Wily One, sitting with head on knee and hand to cheek. Her
colour was changed and her eyes were sunken; but, when she saw
me, she exclaimed, "Praised be Allah for thy safety!" And she was
minded to rise but fell down for joy. I was abashed before her
and hung my head; presently, however, I went up to her and kissed
her and asked, "How knewest thou that I should come to thee this
very night?" She answered, "I knew it not! By Allah, this whole
year past I have not tasted the taste of sleep, but have watched
through every night, expecting thee; and such hath been my case
since the day thou wentest out from me and I gave thee the new
suit of clothes, and thou promisedst me to go to the Hammam and
to come back! So I sat awaiting thee that night and a second
night and a third night; but thou camest not till after so great
delay, and I ever expecting thy coming; for this is lovers' way.
And now I would have thee tell me what hath been the cause of
thine absence from me the past year long?" So I told her. And
when she knew that I was married, her colour waxed yellow, and I
added, "I have come to thee this night but I must leave thee
before day." Quoth she, "Doth it not suffice her that she tricked
thee into marrying her and kept thee prisoner with her a whole
year, but she must also make thee swear by the oath of divorce,
that thou wilt return to her on the same night before morning,
and not allow thee to divert thyself with thy mother or me, nor