er's story, he
was sore concerned and his eyes brimmed with tears; then, sheathing
the sword and coming up to her, he kissed her and said to her, "O my
daughter, why didst thou not tell me yesterday, so I might have warded
off from thee the torment and affright which have befallen thee this
night? But no matter; arise and put away from thee this thought, and
to-night I will set over thee those who shall guard thee, so there shall
not again befall thee that which befell yesternight." Then he returned
to his pavilion and sent at once for the Vizier, who came and stood
before him, awaiting his commands; and the Sultan said to him, "O
Vizier, how deemest thou of this affair? Most like thy son hath told
thee what happened to him and to my daughter." "O King of the Age,"
answered the Vizier, "I have not seen my son or yesterday or to-day."
Whereupon the Sultan acquainted him with all that his daughter the Lady
Bedrulbudour had told him and said to him, "It is now my will that thou
enquire of thy son the truth of the case, for it may be my daughter
knoweth not for fright what happened to her, though methinketh her tale
is all true." So the Vizier arose and sending for his son, asked him of
all that the Sultan had told him, if it were true or not. Whereupon,
"O my father the Vizier," replied the youth, "[God] preserve the Lady
Bedrulbudour from leasing! [410] Indeed, all she saith is true and these
two nights past have been for us the sorriest of nights, instead of
being nights of pleasance and delight. Marry, that which befell me was
yet worse, for that, instead of sleeping with my bride in bed, I lay
in the draught-house, a place dark and frightful, noisome of smell and
accursed, and my ribs were straitened [411] with cold." Brief, he told
the Vizier all that had befallen him and ultimately said to him; "Dear
[412] my father, I beseech thee speak with the Sultan that he release me
from this marriage. True, it is great honour for me to be the Sultan's
son-in-law, more by token that the love of the Lady Bedrulbudour hath
gotten possession of my vitals, but I cannot avail to endure one more
night like the two that are past."

When [413] the Vizier heard his son's words, he grieved and was
exceeding chagrined, for that he had thought to greaten his son and
advance him by making him the King's son-in-law; so he bethought himself
and was perplexed anent the matter and what was to do therein; [414] and
indeed it irked him sore that