第74章

Gather his charms all growths of Eden garth*Whereto those Kausar[276]-lips bear testimony.''

When the broker heard the verses she repeated on the charms of Ali Shar，he marvelled at her eloquence，no less than at the brightness of her beauty； but her owner said to him，'Marvel not at her splendour which shameth the noonday sun，nor that her memory is stored with the choicest verses of the poets； for besides this，she can repeat the glorious Koran，according to the seven readings，[277] and the august Traditions，after aion and authentic transmission； and she writeth the seven modes of handwriting[278] and she knoweth more learning and knowledge than the most learned.Moreover，her hands are better than gold and silver； for she maketh silken curtains and selleth them for fifty gold pieces each； and it taketh her but eight days to make a curtain.' Exclaimed the broker，'O happy the man who hath her in his house and maketh her of his choicest treasures！'

and her owner said to him，'Sell her to whom she will.' So the broker went up to Ali Shar and，kissing his hands，said to him，'O my lord，buy thou this damsel，for she hath made choice of thee.'[279] Then he set forth to him all her charms and accomplishments，and added，'I give thee joy if thou buy her，for this be a gift from Him who is no niggard of His giving.'

Whereupon Ali bowed his head groundwards awhile，laughing at himself and secretly saying，'Up to this hour I have not broken my fast； yet I am ashamed before the merchants to own that I have no money wherewith to buy her.' The damsel，seeing him hang down his head，said to the broker，'Take my hand and lead me to him，that I may show my beauty to him and tempt him to buy me； for I will not be sold to any but to him.' So the broker took her hand and stationed her before Ali Shar，saying，'What is thy good pleasure，O my lord？' But he made him no answer，and the girl said to him，'O my lord and darling of my heart，what aileth thee that thou wilt not bid for me？ Buy me for what thou wilt and I will bring thee good fortune.' So he raised his eyes to her and said，'Is buying perforce？ Thou art dear at a thousand dinars.'

Said she，'Then buy me，O my lord，for nine hundred.' He cried，'No，' and she rejoined，'Then for eight hundred；' and though he again said，'Nay，' she ceased not to abate the price，till she came to an hundred dinars.Quoth he，'I have not by me a full hundred.' So she laughed and asked，'How much dost thou lack of an hundred？' He answered，'By Allah，I have neither an hundred dinars，nor any other sum； for I own neither white coin nor red cash，neither dinar nor dirham.So look out thou for another and a better customer.' And when she knew that he had nothing，she said to him，'Take me by the hand and carry me aside into a by-lane，as if thou wouldst examine me privily.' He did so and she drew from her bosom a purse containing a thousand dinars，which she gave him，saying，'Pay down nine hundred to my price and let the hundred remain with thee by way of provision.' He did as she bid him and，buying her for nine hundred dinars，paid down the price from her own purse and carried her to his house.When she entered it，she found a dreary desolate saloon without carpets or vessels； so she gave him other thousand dinars，saying，'Go to the bazar and buy three hundred dinars' worth of furniture and vessels for the house and three dinars' worth of meat and drink.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Twelfth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King that quoth the slave-girl，'Bring us meat and drink for three dinars，furthermore a piece of silk，the size of a curtain，and bring golden and silvern thread and sewing silk of seven colours.' Thus he did，and she furnished the house and they sat down to eat and drink； after which they went to bed and took their pleasure one of the other.And they lay the night embraced behind the curtain and were even as saith the poet，[280]

'Cleave fast to her thou lovestand let the envious rail amain，For calumny and envy ne'er to favour love were fain.

Lo，whilst I slept，in dreams I saw thee lying by my side And，from thy lips the sweetest，sure，of limpid springs did drain.

Yea，true and certain all I saw is，as I will avouch，And 'spite the envier，thereto I surely will attain.

There is no goodlier sight，indeed，for eyes to look upon，Than when one couch in its embrace enfoldeth lovers twain.

Each to the other's bosom clasped，clad in their twinned delight，Whilst hand with hand and arm with arm about their necks enchain Lo，when two hearts are straitly knit in passion and desire，But on cold iron smite the folk who chide at them in vain.

Thou，that for loving censurest the votaries of love，Canst thou assain a heart diseased or heal-a cankered brain？

If in thy time thou kind but one to love thee and be true，I rede thee cast the world away and with that one remain.'

So they lay together till the morning and love for the other waxed firmly fixed in the heart of each.And on rising，Zumurrud took the curtain and embroidered it with coloured silks and purpled it with silver and gold thread and she added thereto a border depicting round about it all manner of birds and beasts；

nor is there in the world a feral but she wrought his semblance.

This she worked in eight days，till she had made an end of it，when she trimmed it and glazed and ironed it and gave it to her lord，saying，'Carry it to the bazar and sell it to one of the merchants at fifty dinars； but beware lest thou sell it to a passer-by，as this would cause a separation between me and thee，for we have foes who are not unthoughtful of us.'