صفحة 221 من 1116

Presently I heard the slave girl at my head say to her at my

feet, "O Mas'udah, how miserable is our master and how wasted in

his youth and oh! the pity of his being so betrayed by our

mistress, the accursed whore!"[FN#118] The other replied, "Yes

indeed: Allah curse all faithless women and adulterous; but the

like of our master, with his fair gifts, deserveth something

better than this harlot who lieth abroad every night." Then quoth

she who sat by my head, "Is our lord dumb or fit only for

bubbling that he questioneth her not!" and quoth the other, "Fie

on thee! doth our lord know her ways or doth she allow him his

choice? Nay, more, doth she not drug every night the cup she

giveth him to drink before sleep time, and put Bhang[FN#119] into

it?