The ten young lords were not in it at that time. I however waited, and it was not long before they came, accompanied by the old man. They did not seem at all astonished at seeing me, nor at observing I had lost my right eye. “We are very sorry,” they said, “we cannot congratulate you on your return in the manner we could have wished; but you know we were not the cause of your misfortune.”—“It would be,” I replied, “very wrong in me to accuse you of it: I brought it entirely upon myself, and the fault lies with me alone.”—“If the unfortunate,” answered they, “can derive any consolation from knowing that others are in the same situation, we can afford you that satisfaction. Whatever may have happened to you, be assured we have experienced the same. We have equally enjoyed every species of pleasure for a whole year; and we should have continued in the enjoyment of the same happiness if we had not opened the golden door during the absence of the princesses. You have not been more prudent than we were, and you have experienced the same punishment. We wish we could receive you into our society to undergo the same penance we are performing, and which we know not the duration of; but we have before informed you of the motives which prevent us. You must therefore take your departure, and go to the court of Bagdad, where you will meet with the person who will be able to decide your fate.” They pointed out the road I was to follow; I then took my leave and departed.
During my journey, I shaved my beard and eyebrows, and put on the habit of a calender. I was a long time on the road, and it was only this evening that I arrived in this city. At the entrance of one of the gates I encountered these two calenders, my brethren, who were equally strangers with myself. We were all much surprised with each other, at the singular circumstance of having each lost our right eye. We had not, however, much leisure to converse on the subject of our mutual disgraceful misfortune. We had only time, madam, to implore your assistance, and which you have so generously afforded us.
When the third calender had finished the recital of his history, Zobeidè, addressing herself both to him and his brethren, said, “Depart; you are all three at liberty to go wherever you please.”—“Pardon, madam,” answered one of them, “we beg of you, our curiosity, and permit us to stay and hear the adventures of these gentlemen who have not yet spoken. The lady then turned to the side where the caliph, the vizier Giafar, and Mesrour, of whose real situation and character she was still ignorant, were, and desired each of them to relate his history.
The grand vizier, Giafar, who was always prepared to speak, immediately answered Zobeidè. “In order to obey you, madam,” said he, “we have only to repeat to you what we already related before we entered. We are,” he continued, “merchants of Moussoul, and we are come to Bagdad for the purpose of trading with our merchandise, which we have placed in the warehouses belonging to the khan where we live. We dined to-day together, with many others of our profession, at a merchant’s of this city, who, after treating us with the most delicate viands and finest wines, had ordered a company of male and female dancers, and a set of musicians, both vocal and instrumental. The great noise and uproar which we all made, attracted the notice of the watch, who came and arrested many of the guests, but we had the good fortune to escape. As, however, it was so very late, and the door of our khan would be shut, we knew not where to go to. It happened accidentally, that we passed through your street, and as we heard the sounds of pleasure and gaiety within your walls, we determined to knock at the door. This is the only relation we have to make, and which we have done according to your commands.”
Zobeidè, after listening to this narration, seemed to hesitate on what she should say; which the three calenders observing, they entreated her to be equally generous to the three pretended merchants of Moussoul, as she had been to them. “Well then,” she cried, “I agree to it. I wish all of you to be under the same obligation to me. I will therefore do you this favor, but it is only on condition that you instantly quit this house, and go wherever you please. Zobeidè gave this order in a tone of voice, that showed she meant to be obeyed: the caliph, the vizier, Mesrour, the three calenders, and the porter, therefore, went away without replying a word; for the presence of the seven armed slaves served to make them very respectful. They had no sooner left the house, and the door was shut, than the caliph said to the three calenders, at the same time without letting them know who he was, “What, gentlemen, as you are strangers, and but just arrived in this city, do you intend to do? and which way do you think of going, as it is not yet day-light?”—“This very thing, sir,” answered they, “much embarrasses us.”—“Follow us, then,” replied the caliph, “and we will relieve you from this difficulty.” He then whispered his vizier, and ordered him to conduct them to his own house, and bring them to the palace in the morning. “I wish,” added he, “to have their adventures written; for they are worthy of a place in the annals of my reign.”
The vizier Giafar carried the three calenders home; the porter went to his own house, and the caliph, accompanied by Mesrour, returned to his palace. He retired to his couch, but his mind was so entirely occupied by all the extraordinary things he had both seen and heard, he was unable to close his eyes. He was particularly anxious to know who Zobeidè was, and the motives she could possibly have for treating the two black dogs so ill; and also the reason that Aminè’s bosom was so covered with scars. The morning at length broke while he was still engaged with these reflections. He immediately got up, and went into the room where he held his councils; he then gave audience, and seated himself on his throne.
It was not long before the grand vizier arrived, who directly went through the usual ceremonies of respect. “Vizier,” said the caliph to him, “the business which is now before us is not very pressing; that of the three ladies and the two black dogs is of more consequence, nor will my mind be free from agitation till I am fully informed of every thing that has caused me so much astonishment. Go and order these ladies to attend, and at the same time bring back the three calenders with you. Begone, and remember I am impatient for your return.”
The vizier, who was well acquainted with the quick and violent disposition of his master, hastened to obey him. He arrived at the house of the ladies, and informed them, with as much politeness as possible, of the orders he had received to conduct them to the caliph; but did not hint at any thing relative to what passed the night before.
The ladies immediately put on their veils, and went along with the vizier, who, in passing his own door, called for the calenders. They had just learnt that they had before seen the caliph, and had even spoken to him without even knowing it was he. The vizier brought them all to the palace, and executed his commission with so much diligence, that the caliph was perfectly satisfied. This prince ordered the ladies to stand behind the door-way, which led to his own apartment, in order to preserve a certain decorum before the officers of his household. He kept the three calenders near him, who made it sufficiently apparent, by their respectful behaviour, that they were not ignorant in whose presence they had the honour to appear.
When the ladies were seated, the caliph turned himself towards them, and said, “When I inform you, ladies, that I introduced myself to you last night, disguised as a merchant, I shall without doubt cause you some alarm: you are afraid, probably, that you offended me, and you think, perhaps, that I have ordered you to come here only to show you some marks of my resentment; but be of good courage, and be assured that I have forgotten what is past, and that I am even very well satisfied with your conduct. I wish that all the ladies of Bagdad were possessed of as much sense as I have observed in you. I shall always remember the moderation with which you conducted yourselves after the incivility we were guilty of towards you. I was then a simple merchant of Moussoul, but I am now Haroun Alraschid, the seventh caliph of the glorious house of Abbas, which holds the place of our great prophet. I have ordered you here only for the sake of being informed who you are, and to inquire of you for what reason one of you, after having ill-treated the two black dogs, wept with them. Nor am I less curious to learn why the bosom of another became so covered with scars.”