leave your country. I desire you to make me your entire
confidant, and to acquaint me with the cause of your quarrel; for
now you have no reason either to doubt my affection, or to
conceal any thing from me."

Noor ad Deen informed him of every circumstance of the quarrel; at
which the vizier, burst out into a fit of laughter, and said, "This is
one of the strangest occurrences I ever heard. Is it possible, my son,
that your quarrel should rise so high about an imaginary marriage? I
am sorry you fell out with your elder brother upon such a frivolous
matter; but he was also wrong in being angry at what you only spoke in
jest, and I ought to thank heaven for that difference which has
procured me such a son-in-law. But," continued the vizier, "it is
late, and time for you to retire; go to your bride, my son, she
expects you: to-morrow, I will present you to the sultan, and hope he
will receive you in such a manner as shall satisfy us both." Noor ad
Deen Ali took leave of his father-in-law, and retired to his bridal
apartment.

It is remarkable that Shumse ad Deen Mahummud happened also to
marry at Cairo the very same day that this marriage was
solemnized at Bussorah, the particulars of which are as follow:

After Noor ad Deen Ali left Cairo, with an intention never to
return, his elder brother, who was hunting with the sultan of
Egypt, was absent for a month; for the sultan being fond of the
chase, continued it often for so long a period. At his return,
Shumse ad Deen was much surprised when he understood, that under
presence of taking a short journey his brother departed from
Cairo on a mule the same day as the sultan, and had never
appeared since. It vexed him so much the more, because he did not
doubt but the harsh words he had used had occasioned his flight.
He sent a messenger in search of him, who went to Damascus, and
as far as Aleppo, but Noor ad Deen was then at Bussorah. When the
courier returned and brought no news of him, Shumse ad Deen
intended to make further inquiry after him in other parts; but in
the meantime matched with the daughter of one of the greatest
lords in Cairo, upon the same day in which his brother married
the daughter of the grand vizier, of Bussorah.

At the end of nine months the wife of Shumse ad Deen was brought
to bed of a daughter at Cairo, and on the same day the lady of
Noor ad Deen was delivered of a son at Bussorah, who was called
Buddir ad Deen Houssun.

The grand vizier,