of her, he rose and fled forth fearing the consequences of his
ill-doing. When the Wazir's wife heard the slave-girls' cries,
she sprang up and came out of the baths with the perspiration
pouring from her face, saying, "What is this unseemly clamour in
the house[FN#18]?" Then she came up to the two little slave-
girls and asked them saying, "Fie upon you! what is the matter?";
and both answered, "Verily our lord Nur al-Din came in and beat
us, so we fled; then he went up to Anis al-Jalis and threw his
arms round her and we know not what he did after that; but when
we cried out to thee he ran away." Upon this the lady went to
Anis al-Jalis and said to her, "What tidings?" "O my lady," she
answered, "as I was sitting here lo! a handsome young man came in
and said to me:--Art thou she my father bought for me?; and I
answered Yes; for, by Allah, O mistress mine, I believed that his
words were true; and he instantly came in and embraced me." "Did
he nought else with thee but this?" quoth the lady, and quoth
she, "Indeed he did! But he did it only three times." "He did
not leave thee without dishonouring thee!" cried the Wazir's wife
and fell to weeping and buffetting her face, she and the girl and
all the handmaidens, fearing lest Nur al-Din's father should kill
him.[FN#19] Whilst they were thus, in came the Wazir and asked
what was the matter, and his wife said to him, "Swear that whatso
I tell thee thou wilt attend to it." "I will," answered he. So
she related to him what his son had done, whereat he was much
concerned and rent his raiment and smote his face till his nose
bled, and plucked out his beard by the handful. "Do not kill
thyself," said his wife, "I will give thee ten thousand dinars,
her price, of my own money." But he raised his head and cried,
"Out upon thee! I have no need of her purchase-money: my fear is
lest life as well as money go." "O my lord, and how is that?"