“The lady was no sooner out of sight, than I recollected, that my love had caused me to be guilty of a great fault. It had indeed so wholly engrossed my attention, that I not only omitted taking the money for the goods, but had even neglected to inquire who she was, and where she lived. This led me immediately to reflect, that I was accountable for a very large sum of money to several merchants, who would not perhaps have the patience to wait. I then went and excused myself to them, in the best way I could, telling them I knew the lady very well. I returned home as much in love as ever, although very much embarrassed by the idea of so heavy a debt.
“I requested my creditors to wait eight days for their money, which they agreed to do. On the eighth morning they did not fail to come and request payment; but I again begged them to grant me the favor of a little farther delay, in which they had the goodness to acquiesce; but on the very next morning I saw the lady coming along on the same mule, with the same number of persons attending her, and exactly at the same hour as at first.
“She came directly to my shop. ‘I have made you wait,’ she said, ‘a little for your money, on account of the stuffs which I had the other day; but I have at last brought it you. Carry it to a money-changer, and see that it is all good, and the right sum.’ The eunuch, who had the money, went with me to a money-changer’s; the sum was exactly correct, and all good silver. After this, I had the happiness of a long conversation with the lady, till all the shops in the bezestein were open. Although we conversed only upon common topics, she nevertheless gave a certain turn to whatever she said, that threw a grace and novelty over the whole discourse, and convinced me I was not mistaken, when, from the first time I saw her, I thought that she possessed much wit and good sense.
“As soon as the merchants were come, and had opened their shops, I took what I was indebted to each of those from whom I had purchased the stuffs on credit, and I had now no difficulty in getting others from them, which the lady had desired to see. I carried back with me as many as came to a thousand pieces of gold, all of which she took away with her, not only without paying for them, but without saying a word on the subject, or even informing me who she was, or where she lived. What astonished me the most was, that she ran no risk, and hazarded nothing, while I remained without the least security, and without any chance of being indemnified in case I should not see her again. ‘She has paid me, it is true,’ I said to myself, ‘a very large sum of money; but she has left me with a debt which is much more considerable. Is it possible she can intend to cheat me, and has thus, by paying me for the first quantity, only enticed me on to my more certain ruin? The merchants themselves do not know her, and depend only upon me for payment.’
“My love was not so powerful as to prevent me from making these distressing reflections. My fears kept increasing from day to day for one entire month, which passed on without my having any intelligence whatever of the lady. The merchants, at last, began to grow very impatient, and in order to satisfy them, I was going to sell off every thing I had; when, one morning, I saw her coming exactly with the same attendants as before. ‘Take your weights,’ she said to me, ‘and weigh the gold I have brought you.’ These few words put an end to all my fears, and redoubled my love.
“Before she began to count out the gold, she addressed several questions to me: and, among other things, she asked me if I were married. I told her I was not, nor ever had been. Giving then the gold to the eunuch, she said to him, ‘Come, let us have your assistance to settle our affairs.’ The eunuch could not help smiling, and taking me aside, he made me weigh the gold. While I was thus employed, the eunuch whispered in my ear as follows: ‘I have only to look at you, to be perfectly convinced you are desperately in love with my mistress; and I am only surprised that you have not sufficient courage to discover your passion to her. She loves you, if possible, to a still greater excess. Don’t suppose that she is in want of any of your stuffs; she only comes here, because you have inspired her with the most violent passion, and this was the reason of her asking you whether you were married. You have only to make known your sentiments by speech, and if you wish it, she will not stop short even of marrying you.’—‘It is true,’ I replied to the eunuch, ‘that I felt the sensations of love arise in my breast the very first moment I beheld your lady, but I never thought of aspiring to the hope of having pleased her. I am wholly her own, and shall not fail to remember the good office you have done me.’
“As soon as I had finished weighing the gold, and while I was putting it back into the bag, the eunuch went to the lady and said, that I was very well satisfied. This was the particular expression they had agreed upon between themselves. The lady, who was seated, immediately got up, and went away, telling me first, that she would send back the eunuch, and that I must do exactly as he directed.
“I then went to all the merchants to whom I was indebted, and paid them. After this, I waited with the greatest impatience for the arrival of the eunuch, but it was some days before he made his appearance. At length, however, he arrived.
“I conducted myself in the most kind and friendly manner towards him; and made many inquiries after the health of his mistress: ‘You certainly are,’ he said, ‘the happiest lover in all the world: she is absolutely dying for love of you. It is impossible you can be more anxious to see her, than she is for your company: and if she were able to follow her own inclinations, and act as she likes, she would instantly come to you, and gladly pass every moment of her future life with you.’—‘From her noble air and manner,’ I replied, ‘I have concluded, she is a lady of great rank and consequence.’—‘Nor are you deceived in this opinion;’ said the eunuch, ‘she is the favourite of Zobeidè, the caliph’s wife, who is the more strongly attached to her, as she brought her up from her earliest infancy; and her confidence in her is so great, that she employs her in every commission she wishes to have executed. From the desire which she has of being married, she has told her mistress, Zobeidè, that she has cast her eyes upon you; and has asked her consent to the match. Zobeidè has agreed to it, but has requested, in the first instance, to see you, that she may judge whether her favorite has made a good choice; and in case she approves of you, she will herself be at the expense of the wedding. You may be sure, therefore, that your happiness is certain. As you have pleased the favorite, you will equally please her mistress, whose sole wish is to afford her pleasure; and who has not the least desire of putting any restraint upon her inclination. The only thing, therefore, to be done, is to go to the palace; and this was the reason of my coming here. You must now tell me on what you will resolve.’—‘My resolution is already taken,’ I replied, ‘and I am ready to follow you, when, and wherever you choose to conduct me.’—‘That is well,’ said the eunuch, ‘but you must recollect, that no man is permitted to enter the apartments in the palace belonging to the ladies; and that you can be introduced there only by such means as will keep it a profound secret. The favourite has taken her measures for the purpose; and you must, on your part, do every thing to facilitate it; but, above all things, you must be discreet, or it may cost you your life.’
“I assured him that I would do every thing exactly as he ordered me. ‘You must then,’ he added, ‘this evening, at the very close of day, go to the mosque, which the lady Zobeidè has ordered to be built on the banks of the Tigris; and you must wait there till we come to you.’ I agreed to every thing he wished, and waited with the greatest impatience till the day was passed. When the evening commenced, I set out, and went to prayers, which began an hour and a half before sun-set, at the appointed mosque; and remained there till the very last.