the waiting-women bring food and drink. Then he called the
mocking-bird but it knew not its lord and settled upon Masrur's
lap; and the Jew said to him, "O my master, what is thy name?" He
answered, "My name is Masrur;" whereupon the Jew remembered that
this was the name which his wife had repeated all night long in
her sleep. Presently, he raised his head and saw her making
signs[FN#348] with her forefingers to Masrur and motioning to him
with her eyes, wherefore he knew that he had been completely
cozened and cuckolded and said, "O my lord, excuse me awhile,
till I fetch my kinsmen, so they may be present at our swearing
brotherhood." Quoth Masrur, "Do what seemeth good to thee;"
whereupon the Jew went forth the house and returning privily by a
back way.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fifty-third Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Zayn
al-Mawasif's husband said to Masrur, "Excuse me awhile, till I
fetch my cousins to witness the brother-bond between me and
thee." Then he went forth and, privily returning behind the
sitting-room, there took his station hard by a window which gave
upon the saloon and whence he could watch them without their
seeing him. Suddenly quoth Zayn al-Mawasif to her maid Sukub,
"Whither is thy master gone?"; and quoth she, "He is gone without
the house." Cried the mistress, "Lock the door and bar it with
iron and open thou not till he knock, after thou hast told me."
Answered Sukub, "So shall it be done." Then, while her husband
watched them, she rose and filling a cup with wine, flavoured
with powdered musk and rose-water, went close to Masrur, who