with slaves and eunuchs about her and the porter at the door,
staff in hand, who when he saw the Fisherman sprang up and
kissing his hand, went before him, till he brought him within the
saloon. Here the Fisherman saw what amazed his wit, and his eye
was dazzled by that which he beheld of riches past count and
slaves and servants, who kissed his hand and said, "May the bath
be a blessing to thee!"[FN#293] When he entered the saloon and
drew near unto Kut al-Kulub, she sprang up to him and taking him
by the hand, seated him on a high-mattrassed divan. Then she
brought him a vase of sherbet of sugar, mingled with rosewater
and willow-water, and he took it and drank it off and left not a
single drop. Moreover, he ran his finger round the inside of the
vessel[FN#294] and would have licked it, but she forbade him,
saying, "That is foul." Quoth he, "Silence; this is naught but
good honey;" and she laughed at him and set before him a tray of
meats, whereof he ate his sufficiency. Then they brought an ewer
and basin of gold, and he washed his right hand and abode in the
gladdest of life and the most honourable. Now hear what befel the
Commander of the Faithful. When he came back from his journey and
found not Kut al-Kulub, he questioned the Lady Zubaydah of her
and she said, "She is verily dead, may thy head live, O Prince of
True Believers!" But she had bidden dig a grave amiddlemost the
Palace and had built over it a mock tomb, for her knowledge of
the love the Caliph bore to Kut al-Kulub: so she said to him, "O
Commander of the Faithful, I made her a tomb amiddlemost the
Palace and buried her there." Then she donned black,[FN#295] a
mere sham and pure pretence; and feigned mourning a great while.
Now Kut al-Kulub knew that the Caliph was come back from his
hunting excursion; so she turned to Khalif and said to him,
"Arise; hie thee to the bath and come back." So he rose and went