eat, saying, “Eat, O my lord.”  So he came forward and ate; but the food was not pleasant to him; on the contrary he ceased not to look towards the door, till the damsel had eaten her fill, when she took away the tray of the meats and, setting on the dessert, fell to eating of the dried fruits.  Then she brought the wine service and opening the jar, filled a cup and handed it to Amjad, who took it from her hand saying to him self, ’ Ah, ah! and well away, when the master of the house cometh and seeth me!”; and he kept his eyes fixed on the threshold, even with cup in hand.  While he was in this case, lo! in came the master of the house, who was a white slave, one of the chief men of the city, being Master of the Horse[FN#388] to the King.  He had fitted up this saloon for his pleasures, that he might make merry therein and be private with whom he would, and he had that day bidden a youth whom he loved and had made this entertainment for him.  Now the name of this slave was Bahadur,[FN#389] and he was open of hand, generous, munificent and fain of alms-giving and charitable works.—­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

      When it wad the Two Hundred and Thirty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Bahadur, the Master of the Horse and the owner of the house, came to the door of the saloon and found it open, he entered slowly and softly and looking in, with head advanced and out stretched neck, saw Amjad and the girl sitting before the dish of fruit and the wine-jar in front of them.  Now Amjad at that moment had the cup in his hand and his face turned to the door; and when his glance met Bahadur’s eyes his hue turned pale yellow and his side-muscles quivered, so seeing his trouble Bahadur signed to him with his finger on his lips, as much as to say, “Be silent and come hither to me.”  Whereupon he set down the cup and rose and the damsel cried, “Whither away?” He shook his head and, signing to her that he wished to make water, went out into the passage barefoot.  Now when he saw Bahadur he knew him for the master of the house; so he hastened to him and, kissing his hands, said to him, “Allah upon thee, O my lord, ere thou do me a hurt, hear what I have to say.”  Then he told him who he was from first to last and acquainted him with what caused him to quit his native land and royal state, and how he had not entered his house of his free will, but that it was the girl who had broken the lock-bolt and done all this.[FN#390] When Bahadur heard his story and knew that he was a King’s son, he felt for him and, taking compassion on him, said, “Hearken to me, O Amjad, and do what I bid thee and I will guarantee thy safety from that thou fearest; but, if thou cross me, I will kill thee.”  Amjad replied, “Command me as thou wilt:  I will not gainsay thee in aught; no, never, for I am the freedman of thy bounty.”  Rejoined Bahadur, “Then go back forthwith into