honour and seating him by his side on a high divan, let bring him
coffee with ambergris. Then the servants spread the table for
breakfast and they took their sufficiency of meat and drink, and
when they had finished, they fell to talking and making merry
together. Presently the Imam asked the prince and said to him,
.'O my lord Zein ul Asnam, doth your highness purpose to sojourn
long here in Baghdad?" "Yea, verily, O our Lord the Imam,"
answered Zein ul Asnam; "my intent is to sojourn here awhile,
till such time as my requirement be accomplished." "And what,"
asked Aboubekr, "is the requirement of my lord the Amir? Belike,
an I know it, I may avail to further him to his wish, though I
sacrifice my life for him." [FN#118] And the prince said to him,
"I seek a damsel fifteen years of age and fair exceedingly, that
I may marry her; but she must be pure and chaste and a clean
maid, whom no man hath anywise defiled nor in all her life hath
she thought upon a man; [FN#119] and she must be unique in grace
and goodliness."

"O my lord," rejoined the Imam, "this is a thing exceeding hard
to find; but I know a damsel unique in her loveliness and her age
is fifteen years. Her father was a Vizier, who resigned office of
his own motion, and he abideth presently at home in his palace
and is exceeding jealous over his daughter and her bringing
up. [FN#120] Methinketh this damsel will suit your Highness's
mind, and she will rejoice in an Amir like your Highness, as also
will her parents." Quoth Zein ul Asnam, "God willing, this damsel
whereof thou speakest will answer my requirement and the
accomplishment of our desire shall be at thy hands; [FN#121] but,
O our lord the Imam, before all things my wish is to see her, so
I may know an she be chaste or not. As for her beauty, I am