Courts"My
son," she said, "I have a favour to ask of you. It is the hour of prayer
and I have not yet washed myself. Let me, I beg you, enter your house,
and give me water."
My brother, although the old woman was a stranger to him, did not
hesitate to do as she wished. He gave her a vessel of water and then
went back to his place and his thoughts, and with his mind busy over his
last adventure, he put his gold into a long and narrow purse, which he
could easily carry in his belt. During this time the old woman was busy
over her prayers, and when she had finished she came and prostrated
herself twice before my brother, and then rising called down endless
blessings on his head. Observing her shabby clothes, my brother thought
that her gratitude was in reality a hint that he should give her some
money to buy some new ones, so he held out two pieces of gold. The old
woman started back in surprise as if she had received an insult. "Good
heavens!"
Heading One
she exclaimed, "what is the meaning of this? Is it possible that you
take me, my lord, for one of those miserable creatures who force their
way into houses to beg for alms? Take back your money. I am thankful to
say I do not need it, for I belong to a beautiful lady who is very rich
and gives me everything I want."
My brother was not clever enough to detect that the old woman had
merely refused the two pieces of money he had offered her in order to
get more, but he inquired if she could procure him the pleasure of
seeing this lady.
Heading Two
"Willingly," she replied; "and she will be charmed to marry you, and
to make you the master of all her wealth. So pick up your money and
follow me."
Delighted at the thought that he had found so easily both a fortune
and a beautiful wife, my brother asked no more questions, but concealing
his purse, with the money the lady had given him, in the folds of his
dress, he set out joyfully with his guide.
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They walked for some distance till the old woman stopped at a large
house,
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where she knocked.
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The door was opened by a young Greek slave,
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and the old woman led my brother across a well-paved court into a
well-furnished hall.
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Here she left him to inform her mistress of his presence, and as the
day was hot he flung himself on a pile of cushions and took off his
heavy turban.
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In
a few minutes there entered a lady,
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and my brother perceived at the first glance that she was even more
beautiful and more richly dressed than he had expected.
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He
rose from his seat,
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but the lady signed to him to sit down again and placed herself
beside him. After the usual compliments had passed between them she
said, "We are not comfortable here, let us go into another room,"
Heading Three
and passing into a smaller chamber, apparently communicating with no
other, she continued to talk to him for some time. Then rising hastily
she left him, saying, "Stay where you are, I will come back in a
moment."
Continued
