At this speech Mallem started up from his seat, advanced most submissively to Yussuf, took the paper and raised it to his head, addressing Yussuf with the most abject servility, “O most excellent, most valiant, and most powerful beeldar, how well doth the caliph select his officers!  How favoured am I by Allah with your happy presence!  I am your slave—­honour me by refreshing yourself in my dwelling.”

Yussuf then threw the driver of the beast half a dirhem, and dismissed him, breathed as if fatigued with his journey, and wiped his brow with his sleeve.  The confectioner placed him in his own seat, and sent hastily to the bazaar for a large dishful of kabob, spread a napkin before Yussuf, and slicing a pomegranate, strewed it over with pounded sugar, and placed it before him, along with some sweet cakes and some honey.  “O chief of beeldars!” said the confectioner, “it is my prayer that you deign to break your fast in the house of your servant.  Will you amuse yourself with these trifles while something better is preparing?” Here one of the shopmen brought a bowl, into which he poured sherbet of the distilled juice of the lotus-flower mingled with rose-water.  The master placed this also before Yussuf, and entreated him to eat; but Yussuf, affecting the great man, held his head up in the air and would not even look that way.  “Condescend to oblige me by tasting this sherbet, O chief!” continued the confectioner:  “or I swear by Allah, that I will divorce my youngest and most favourite wife.”

“Hold—­hold, brother!” replied Yussuf; “rather than that the innocent should suffer, I will comply with your request; although, to say the truth, I have no appetite, having taken my breakfast from the caliph’s table in ten dishes, each dish containing three fowls dressed in a different fashion.  I am so full that I can scarce draw my breath.”

“I fully comprehend that it is out of compassion to your slave that you comply with my request.”

“Well,” said Yussuf, “to oblige you;” and taking up the bowl of sherbet, which contained some pints, to the amazement of the confectioner, at one long draught he swallowed it all down.  The kabob now made its appearance, wrapped up in thin cakes of fine wheaten flour.  Yussuf swallowed this also with a rapidity which was astonishing to behold, nor did he cease eating till the whole table cleared.  The confectioner was amazed.  “This fellow,” thought he, “breakfasted upon ten dishes, each containing three fowls.  How fortunate for me!  What would he have done had he come here fainting?  Nothing less than an ox stuffed with pistachio-nuts would have satisfied him.  Would to Heaven that I were well rid of him!”

In the meantime Yussuf stirred not, but resumed his consequence.  The confectioner requested to know if his highness would wait till a dinner was prepared for him.  “Indeed, friend, that is a subject of small concern.  My object here is, that you hasten with me to the treasury to pay in the five thousand dirhems which are due.”