the supposed merchant,
that he often conversed with him familiarly; and at length the
young man, emboldened by his condescending attention, ventured to
inquire the cause of his travels to regions so distant from his
own country: upon which he was informed of the arrival of the
beautiful Wird al Ikmaum at the court of sultan Dara; of the
compassion of that sultan for her misfortunes; his generous
protection; and his own fruitless mission in search of her lover
Ins al Wujjood. A this happy intelligence, the latter, overcome
with ecstacy, could no longer contain himself, but discovered who
he was; and the vizier was also overjoyed at knowing, when least
expected, that he had found the despaired of object of his long
journey. He embraced the young man, congratulated him upon the
speedy termination of absence from his beloved, and the happy
union which awaited him. He then made him an inmate of his own
tents, supplied him with rich attire, and every necessary
becoming the condition of a person for whose fortunes he knew his
sovereign to be so highly concerned. Ins al Wujjood, now easy in
mind, and renovated by the happy prospects before him, daily
recovered health and strength, so that by the time of their
arrival at the capital of sultan Dara he had regained his
pristine manliness and vigour.
When the vizier waited upon his master the sultan Dara to
communicate his successful commission, the sultan commanded the
youth to his presence. Ins al Wujjood performed the usual
obeisance of kissing the ground before the throne, with the
graceful demeanour of one who had been used to a court. The
sultan graciously returned his salutation, and commanded him to
be seated; after which he requested him to relate his adventures,
which he did in eloquent language, interspersing in his narrative
poetical quotations, and extempore verses applicable to the
various incidents and situations. The sultan was charmed with his
story; and when he had finished its relation, sent for a cauzee
and witnesses to tie the marriage knot between the happy Ins al
Wujjood and the beautiful Wird al Ikmaum; at the same time
dispatching a messenger to announce the celebration of the
nuptials to sultan Shamikh and Ibrahim his vizier, who were
bewailing their supposed irrecoverable losses; one that of his
favourite, and the latter that of his daughter. Sultan Dara
detained the happy couple at his court for some time, after which
he dismissed them with valuable
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