ou, give you money to defray the expense of my funeral, and
a piece of good brocade to cover my body, that my interment may
be the more magnificent, and to make you a new dress in the room
of that you will have torn. As soon as you return with the money
and the brocade, I will rise, lay you in my place, and go and act
the same part with the caliph, who I dare say will be as generous
to me as Zobeide will have been to you."

Nouzhatoul-aouadat highly approved the project, and said to Abou
Hassan, "Come, lose no time; strip to your shirt and drawers, while I
prepare a winding sheet. I know how to bury as well as any body; for
while I was in Zobeide's service, when any of my fellow-slaves died, I
had the conducting of the funeral." Abou Hassan did as his wife
mentioned, and laid himself on the sheet which she had spread on the
carpet in the middle of the room. As soon as he had crossed his arms,
his wife wrapped him up, turned his feet towards Mecca, and put a
piece of fine muslin and his turban upon his face, so that nothing
seemed wanting but to carry him out to be buried. After this she
pulled off her head-dress, and with tears in her eyes, her hair
dishevelled, and seeming to tear it off, with a dismal cry and
lamentation, beating her face and breast with all the marks of the
most lively grief, ran across the court to Zobeide's apartments, who,
hearing the voice of a person crying very loud, commanded some of her
women to see who it was; they returned and told her that it was
Nouzhatoul-aouadat, who was approaching in a deplorable condition.

The princess, impatient to know what had happened to her, rose up
immediately, and went to meet her at the door of her ante-chamber.
Nouzhatoul-aouadat played her part to perfection. As soon as she saw
Zobeide, who held the door open, she redoubled her cries, tore her
hair off by handfuls, beat her face and breast, and threw herself at
her feet, bathing them with her tears.

Zobeide, amazed to see her slave in such extraordinary
affliction, asked what had happened; but, instead of answering,
she continued her sobs; and at last feigning to strive to check
them, said, with words interrupted with sighs, "Alas! my most
honoured lady and mistress, what greater misfortune could have
befallen me than this, which obliges me to throw myself at your
highness's feet. God prolong your days, my most respectable
princess, in perfect health, and grant you many happy years! Abou
Hassan! poor