whilom plight of grief, he thought that she had given up her hope
of Alaeddin; so he rejoiced greatly and said to her, "O my soul,
hearkening and obedience unto all that which thou wiliest and
biddest me withal. I have with me in my house a jar of the wine
of our country, the which I have kept stored these eight years
under the earth; so I go now to fill from it our sufficiency and
will return to thee forthright." Therewithal the Lady
Bedrulbudour, that she might beguile him more and more, said to
him, "O my beloved, do not thou go thyself and leave me. Send one
of thy servants to fill us from the jar and abide thou sitting
with me, that I may take comfort in thee." "O my lady," answered
he, "none knoweth the place of the jar save myself; but I will
not keep thee waiting." [FN#603] So saying, he went out and
returned after a little with their sufficiency of wine; and the
Lady Bedrulbudour said to him, "Thou hast been at pains [FN#604]
[for me], and I have put thee to unease, [FN#605] O my beloved."
"Nay," answered he, "O [thou that art dear to me as] mine eyes, I
am honoured by thy service." Then she sat down with him at table
and they both fell to eating. Presently, the princess called for
drink and the handmaid immediately filled her the cup; then she
filled for the Maugrabin and the Lady Bedrulbudour proceeded to
drink to his life and health, [FN#606] and he also drank to her
life and she fell to carousing [FN#607] with him. Now she was
unique in eloquence and sweetness of speech and she proceeded to
beguile him and bespeak him with words significant [FN#608] and
sweet, so she might entangle him yet straitlier in the toils of
her love. The Maugrabin thought that all this was true [FN#609]
and knew not that the love she professed to him was a snare set
for him to slay him. So he redoubled in desire for her and was
like to die for love of her, when he saw from her that which she