to him, "God be praised, O my son, I mustered courage to find
myself a place in the Divan, albeit I could not win to speak with
the Sultan to day; but to-morrow, an it please God the Most High,
I will bespeak him. To-day there were many other folk, like
myself, unable to get speech of the Sultan; but be easy, O my
son; to-morrow I will without fail bespeak him on thy behalf, and
what happened not shall happen." When Alaeddin heard his mother's
words, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy, albeit, of the excess
of his love and longing for the Lady Bedrulbudour, he had looked
for the matter to be accomplished then and there; nevertheless,
he used patience.

They slept that night and on the morrow Alaeddin's mother arose
and went with the dish to the Sultan's Divan, but found it
closed; so she asked the folk and they said to her, "The Sultan
holdeth a Divan but thrice a week;" wherefore she was
compelled [FN#352] to return home. Then she proceeded to go every
day, and whenas she found the Divan open, she would stand before
the door, [FN#353] till it broke up, when she would return home;
and whiles she went and found the Divan closed. [FN#354] On this
wise she abode a week's space [FN#355] and the Sultan saw her at
each Divan; so, when she went on the last day [of the week] and
stood, according to her wont, before the Divan, till it was
ended, but could not muster courage to enter [FN#356] or say
aught, the Sultan arose and entering the harem, turned to his
chief Vizier, who was with him, and said to him, " O Vizier,
these six or seven days [FN#357] past I have seen yonder old woman
come hither at every Divan and I note that she still carrieth
somewhat under her veil. [FN#358] Hast thou any knowledge of her,
O Vizier, and knowest thou what is her want?" "O our lord the