ded
heaven has preserved my son. I am only concerned for my daughter;
her sufferings alone afflict me; yet I believe her to be so good
a sister as to follow my example."

On hearing these words, the young lady, who till then had
appeared insensible, turned to her mother, and clasping her arms
about her neck, "Yes, dear mother," said she, "I will always
follow your example, whatever extremity your love for my brother
may reduce us to."

The mother and daughter thus interchanging their sighs and tears,
continued a considerable time in such moving embraces. In the
mean time the queen's women, who were much affected at the
spectacle, omitted no persuasions to prevail with Ganem's mother
to take some sustenance. She ate a morsel out of complaisance,
and her daughter did the like.

The caliph having ordered that Ganem's kindred should be exposed
three days successively to the sight of the people, in the
condition already mentioned, the unhappy ladies afforded the same
spectacle the second time next day, from morning till night. But
that day and the following, the streets, which at first had been
full of people, were now quite empty. All the merchants, incensed
at the ill usage of Abou Ayoub's widow and daughter, shut up
their shops, and kept themselves close within their houses. The
ladies, instead of looking through their lattice windows,
withdrew into the back parts of their houses. There was not a
person to be seen in the public places through which those
unfortunate women were carried. It seemed as if all the
inhabitants of Damascus had abandoned their city.

On the fourth day, the king resolving punctually to obey the
caliph's orders, though he did not approve of them, sent criers
into all quarters of the city to make proclamation, strictly
commanding all the inhabitants of Damascus, and strangers, of
what condition soever, upon pain of death, and having their
bodies cast to the dogs to be devoured, not to receive Ganem's
mother and sister into their houses, or give them a morsel of
bread or a drop of water, and, in a word, not to afford them the
least support, or hold the least correspondence with them.

When the criers had performed what the king had enjoined them,
that prince ordered the mother and the daughter to be turned out
of the palace, and left to their choice to go where they thought
fit. As soon as they appeared, all persons fled from them, so
great an impression had the late prohibition made upon al