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God by saving my life!” And I wept for fear of death. Quoth she, “Doubtless, thou art a thief.” “No, by Allah,” answered I, “I am no thief. Seest thou on me the signs of thieves?” “Tell me the truth of thy case,” said she, “and I will put thee in safety.” So I said, “I am a silly, ignorant lover, whom passion and my ignorance have moved to do as thou seest, so that I am fallen into this peril.” Quoth she, “Abide here till I come back to thee.”
Then she went out and presently returning with some of her maids’ clothes, clad me therein and bade me follow her. So I followed her till she came to her apartment and bade me enter. I went in and she brought me to a couch, whereon was a splendid carpet, and said, “Sit down here: no harm shall befall thee. Art thou not Aboulhusn el Khurasani, the money-changer?” And I answered, “Yes.” “May God spare thy blood,” rejoined she, “an thou speak truth! If thou be a thief, thou art a lost man, more by token that thou art dressed in the Khalif’s habit and perfumed with his scents. But, if thou be indeed Aboulhusn, thou art safe and no hurt shall come to thee, for that thou art the lover of Shejeret ed Durr, who is my sister and stinteth never to name thee and tell us how she took of thee money, yet wast thou not chagrined, and how thou didst follow her to the river-bank and madest as thou wouldst kiss the ground in her honour; and her heart is yet more aflame for thee than thine for her. But how camest thou hither? Was it by her order or without? [If she hath bidden thee unto this,] she hath imperilled thy life. But what seekest thou in foregathering with her?”
“By Allah, O my lady,” replied I, “it is I who have ventured my own life, and my desire in foregathering with her is but to look on her and hear her speech.” And she said, “Thou hast spoken well.” “O my lady,” added I, “God is my witness that my soul prompteth me to no
