he latter
arose forthright and coming to meet him, received him with cordiality
and said to him, "Blessing hath descended upon us and this night is
the most auspicious of nights in thy coming to us! But who art thou, O
youth, and whence comest thou and whither art thou bound?" The prince
answered him, saying, "I am Zein ul Asnam and I seek Mubarek, slave to
the Sultan of Bassora, who died a year agone and whose son I am." "What
sayst thou?" cried Mubarek. "Art thou the king's son of Bassora?" "Yea,
verily," replied Zein ul Asnam; "I am his son." Quoth Mubarek, "Nay, my
lord the king of Bassora left no son; but what is thine age, O youth?"
"About twenty years," replied Zein ul Asnam. "And thou," added he, "how
long is it since thou wentest out from my father's house?" "I went out
eighteen years agone," answered Mubarek. "But, O my son Zein ul Asnam,
by what token canst thou certify me that thou art the son of my lord
the king of Bassora?" Quoth Zein ul Asnam, "Thou knowest that my father
builded under his palace a vault and therein [a hall in which] he set
forty [60] jars of fine jade and filled them with ancient gold; [61] and
within this hall he made a second hall, wherein he placed eight images
of precious stones, each wroughten of a single jewel and seated upon a
throne of virgin gold. [62] Moreover, he wrote upon a curtain of silk
there and I read the writ, whereby I found that he bade me come to thee,
saying that thou wouldst acquaint me of the ninth image and where it is,
the which, said he, was worth the eight, all of them."

When Mubarek heard these words, he threw himself at Zein ul Asnam's feet
and fell to kissing them and saying, "Pardon me, O my lord! Verily, thou
art the son of my lord." Then said he to the prince, "O my lord, I make
to-day a banquet unto all the chief men of Cairo and I would fain have
thy highness honour me [with thy presence] thereat." And Zein ul Asnam
said, "With all my heart." [63] So Mubarek arose and foregoing Zein ul
Asnam, brought him into the saloon, which was full of the chief men of
Cairo, assembled therein. There he sat down and seating the prince
in the place of honour, called for the evening-meal. So they laid the
tables and Mubarek stood to serve Zein ul Asnam, with his hands clasped
behind him [64] and whiles seated upon his knees [and heels]. [65] The
notables of Cairo marvelled at this, how Mubarek, the chiefest of them,
should serve the youth, and [66] were sore amazed t