Yet I despair not of my God, whose grace *
Haply some day will grant us twain to meet."

Then he folded the letter[FN#31] and sealed it with his signet
ring and gave it to the old woman, saying, "Carry it to the Lady
Dunya." Quoth she, "To hear is to obey;" whereupon he gave her a
thousand dinars and said to her, "O my mother! accept this gift
from me as a token of my affection." She took both from him and
blessed him and went her way and never stinted walking till she
went in to the Lady Dunya. Now when the Princess saw her she
said to her, "O my nurse, what is it he asketh of need that we
may fulfil his wish to him?" Replied the old woman, "O my lady,
he sendeth thee this letter by me, and I know not what is in it;"
and handed it to her. Then the Princess took the letter and read
it; and when she understood it, she exclaimed, "Whence cometh and
whither goeth this merchant man that he durst address such a
letter to me?" And she slapt her face saying, "'Whence are we
that we should come to shopkeeping? Awah! Awah! By the lord,
but that I fear Almighty Allah I had slain him;" and she added,
"Yea, I had crucified[FN#32] him over his shop door!" Asked the
old woman, "What is in this letter to vex thy heart and move thy
wrath on this wise? Doth it contain a complaint of oppression or
demand for the price of the stuff?" Answered the Princess, "Woe
to thee! There is none of this in it, naught but words of love
and endearment. This is all through thee: otherwise whence
should this Satan[FN#33] know me?" Rejoined the old woman, "o my
lady, thou sittest in thy high palace and none may have access to
thee; no, not even the birds of the air. Allah keep thee, and
keep thy youth from blame and reproach! Thou needest not care
for the barking of dogs, for thou art a Princess, the daughter of