ave me a
smile and a glance out of her dark eyes, which swallowed up all my
dislike to women as the light of a taper is swallowed up in that of the
noonday sun. I was so confused by the new emotions which possessed my
soul, that when they departed, saying they would come again shortly to
decide about the silk, I could not utter a word to detain them. Nay, by
the beard of the Prophet, I could do nothing but gaze at the houri till
she was out of my sight. For three long days I waited in vain for their
return. At last my heart began to be sick within me, and I feared I
should never again behold the lovely maiden who had bewitched my soul,
when on the fourth day I saw two females approaching, and I recognised
that the slighter of the two was she. I had provided myself with several
gold pieces, and was ready to give them all, if necessary, to make the
attendant my friend. As soon as they had entered, and I had brought
forth my silks, I drew this woman aside, and slipping one of the gold
pieces into her hand, disclosed to her my passion for her mistress, and
begged her to tell me who she was. The woman seemed inclined to laugh at
first, but when I had finished became grave and said in a low voice, 'My
young mistress looks upon you with favour; but, alas! her father, the
Sheikh Abdu Hassan, is so mean that he cannot bear the thought of his
daughter marrying, on account of the dowry he would be expected to give
with her, and he will not even allow her to see any visitors, lest her
beauty should become known, and he tells all who ask for her that she is
very ugly and ill-tempered, so no one will marry her on that account;
but if you love Khadijah, my mistress, go to the Sheikh and say that you
will take her without any dowry, and then he will, perhaps, be tempted
to give her to you.'

"When she had told me this, she went back to her mistress, and they both
hastily departed.

"I shut my shop an hour earlier that day, and, on arriving home, told my
mother all that had happened. She was very much astonished, and could
not understand why, after refusing to have a wife for so long, I was now
so anxious to have one without a dowry. She tried to dissuade me, but I
paid no heed to her words, and went that same evening to the Sheikh,
whom I fortunately found alone. I told him who I was and what my
possessions were, and that I wanted a wife; but, as I had no one to
speak for me--my father being dead--I had come myself to ask him for his