penniless;" and, as the young host came back to his guests,
vexation showed itself in his face. Thereupon one of the
intimates rose; and, looking at the entertainer, said to him, "O
my lord, may be thou wilt give me leave to retire?" "And why so
early retirement this day?"; asked he and the other answered him,
"My wife is in childbirth and I may not be absent from her:
indeed I must return and see how she does." So he gave him
leave, whereupon another rose and said, "O my lord Nur al-Din, I
wish now to go to my brother's for he circumciseth his son to-
day."[FN#26] In short each and every asked permission to retire
on some pretence or other, till all the ten were gone leaving Nur
al-Din alone. Then he called his slave-girl and said to her, "O
Anis al-Jalis, hast thou seen what case is mine?" And he related
to her what the Steward had told him. Then quoth she, "O my
lord, for many nights I had it in my mind to speak with thee of
this matter, but I heard thee repeating,

'When the World heaps favours on thee, pass on * Thy favours to
friends ere her hand she stay:
Largesse never let her when fain she comes, * Nor niggardise kept
her from turning away!'

When I heard these verses I held my peace and cared not to
exchange a word with thee." "O Anis al-Jalis," said Nur al-Din,
"thou knowest that I have not wasted my wealth save on my
friends, especially these ten who have now left me a pauper, and
I think they will not abandon and desert me without relief." "By
Allah," replied she, "they will not profit thee with aught of
aid." Said he, "I will rise at once and go to them and knock at
their doors; it may be I shall get from them somewhat wherewith I