behold, Queen Marjanah came down to them, attended by her guards and, halting before the vessel, called out to the captain, who landed and kissed the ground before her.  Quoth she, “What is the lading of this thy ship and whom hast thou with thee?"” Quoth he, “O Queen of the Age, I have with me a merchant who dealeth in slaves.”  And she said, “Hither with him to me”; whereupon Bahram came ashore to her, with As’ad walking behind him in a slave’s habit, and kissed the earth before her.  She asked, “What is thy condition?”; and he answered, “I am a dealer in chattels.”  Then she looked at As’ad and, taking him for a Mameluke, asked him, “What is thy name, O youth?” He answered, “Dost thou ask my present or my former name?” “Hast thou then two names?” enquired she, and he replied (and indeed his voice was choked with tears), “Yes; my name aforetime was Al-As’ad, the most happy, but now it is Al-Mu’tarr—­Miserrimus.”  Her heart inclined to him and she said, “Canst thou write?” “Yes,’’ answered he, and she gave him ink-case and reed-pen and paper and said to him, “Write somewhat that I may see it.”  So he wrote these two couplets,

“What can the slave do when pursued by Fate, *
     O justest Judge! whatever be his state?[FN#394]
Whom God throws hand bound in the depths and says, *
     Beware lest water should thy body wet?"[FN#395]

Now when she read these lines, she had ruth upon him and said to Bahram, “Sell me this slave.”  He replied, “O my lady, I cannot sell him, for I have parted with all the rest and none is left with me but he.”  Quoth the Queen, “I must need have him of thee, either by sale or way of gift.”  But quoth Bahram, “I will neither sell him nor give him.”  Whereat she was wroth and, taking As’ad by the hand, carried him up to the castle and sent to Bahram, saying, “Except thou set sail and depart our city this very night, I will seize all thy goods and break up thy ship.”  Now when the message reached the Magian, he grieved with sore grief and cried, “Verily this voyage is on no wise to be commended.”  Then he arose and made ready and took all he needed and awaited the coming of the night to resume his voyage, saying to the sailors, “Provide yourselves with your things and fill your water-skins, that we may set sail at the last of the night.”  So the sailors did their business and awaited the coming of darkness.  Such was their case; but as regards Queen Marjanah, when she had brought As’ad into the castle, she opened the casements overlooking the sea and bade her handmaids bring food.  They set food before As’ad and herself and both ate, after which the Queen called for wine.—­And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

      When it was the Two Hundred and Thirty-fifth Night,