hou shalt spend
the remainder of the night as I mean to do, with these honest
people, whose company I shall be well pleased with; and while I
am putting on a citizen's habit, go thou and disguise thyself
with Mesrour, and come both of you along with me."

The vizier would have persuaded him it was late, and that all the
company would be gone before he could get thither: but the caliph
said he would positively go. The vizier, who knew that not a
syllable of what he had said was true, began to be in great
consternation; but there was no reply to be made, and go he must.

The caliph then, disguised like a citizen, with the grand vizier
Jaaffier and Mesrour, chief of the eunuchs, stole out of the
palace together. They rambled through the streets of Bagdad till
they came to the garden; the door, through the carelessness of
Scheich Ibrahim, was open, he having forgotten to shut it when he
came back with the wine. The caliph was very angry at this.
"Jaaffier," said he to the grand vizier, "what excuse have you
for the door's being open at this unseasonable hour?" "Is it
possible that Scheich Ibrahim makes a custom of leaving it thus
all night? I rather believe the hurry of the feast has been the
occasion of this neglect."

The caliph went into the garden; and when he came to the
pavilion, resolving not to go into the hall till he knew what was
doing, consulted with the grand vizier whether it was not his
best way to climb up into one of the trees that was near, to
observe what was going forward. The grand vizier casting his eyes
upon the door, perceived it stood half open, and told the caliph.
It seems Scheich Ibrahim had left it so, when he was prevailed
upon to come in and bear Noor ad Deen and the fair Persian
company.

The caliph laying aside his first design, stole softly up to the
hall-door, which standing half open, he could see all the company
within, without being discovered himself.

But how was he surprised, when he saw a lady of incomparable
beauty and a handsome young man sitting, with Scheich Ibrahim by
them. Scheich Ibraham held a cup in his hand. "My fair lady,"
said he to the fair Persian, "a true toper never drinks without
singing a song first: if you please to hear, I will give you one
of my best songs."

Scheich Ibrahim sung, and the caliph was the more surprised,
because till that moment he never knew of his drinking wine, but
always took him for a grave, solid man, as he seemed to be to
outward