Faithful, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan.[FN#11]" Then she resumed,
"Didst thou not know all this?" Naomi said, "By Allah, O my lady,
I had no knowledge of it!"; when the other asked, "And he who
sold thee and took thy price did he not tell thee that the Caliph
had bought thee?" Now when Naomi heard these words, she shed
tears and said to herself, "Verily, I have been tricked and the
trick hath succeeded," adding to herself, "If I speak, none will
credit me; so I will hold my peace and take patience, for I know
that the relief of Allah is near." Then she bent her head for
shame, and indeed her cheeks were tanned by the journey and the
sun. So the Caliph's sister left her that day and returned to her
on the morrow with clothes and necklaces of jewels, and dressed
her; after which the Caliph came in to her and sat down by her
side, and his sister said to him, "Look on this handmaid in whom
Allah hath conjoined every perfection of beauty and loveliness."
So he said to Naomi, "Draw back the veil from thy face;" but she
would not unveil, and he beheld not her face. However, he saw her
wrists and love of her entered his heart; and he said to his
sister, "I will not go in unto her for three days, till she be
cheered by thy converse." Then he arose and left her, but Naomi
ceased not to brood over her case and sigh for her separation
from her master, Ni'amah, till she fell sick of a fever during
the night and ate not nor drank; and her favour faded and her
charms were changed. They told the Caliph of this and her
condition grieved him; so he visited her with physicians and men
of skill, but none could come at a cure for her. This is how it
fared with her; but as regards Ni'amah, when he returned home he
sat down on his bed and cried, "Ho, Naomi!" But she answered not;
so he rose in haste and called out, yet none came to him, as all
the women in the house had hidden themselves for fear of him.