in his cups? and with what eyes shall I look upon a place where thou art absent? and with what taste shall I drink wine of which thou drinkest not?” Quoth Abu al-Hasan, “Be not troubled but take patience and be not remiss in entertaining the Commander of the Faithful this night, neither show him any neglect, but be of good heart.”  Now at this juncture, behold, up came a damsel, who said to Shams al-Nahar, “O my lady, the Caliph’s pages are come.”  So she hastily rose to her feet and said to the maid, “Take Abu al-Hasan and his friend and carry them to the upper balcony[FN#187] giving upon the garden and there leave them till darkness come on; when do thou contrive to carry them forth.”  Accordingly the girl led them up to the balcony and, locking the door upon them both, went her way.  As they sat looking on the garden lo! the Caliph appeared escorted by near an hundred eunuchs, with drawn swords in hand and girt about with a score of damsels, as they were moons, all clad in the richest of raiment and on each one’s head was a crown set with jewels and rubies; while each carried a lighted flambeau.  The Caliph walked in their midst, they encompassing him about on all sides, and Masrur and Afif and Wasif[FN#188] went before him and he bore himself with a graceful gait.  So Shams al-Nahar and her maidens rose to receive him and, meeting him at the garden-door, kissed ground between his hands; nor did they cease to go before him till they brought him to the couch whereon he sat down, whilst all the waiting-women who were in the garden and the eunuchs stood before him and there came fair handmaids and concubines holding in hand lighted candles and perfumes and incense and instruments of mirth and music.  Then the Sovereign bade the singers sit down, each in her place, and Shams al-Nahar came up and, seating herself on a stool by the side of the Caliph’s couch, began to converse with him; all this happening whilst Abu al-Hasan and Ali bin Bakkar looked on and listened, unseen of the King.  Presently the Caliph fell to jesting and toying with Shams al-Nahar and both were in the highest spirits, glad and gay, when he bade them throw open the garden pavilion.  So they opened the doors and windows and lighted the tapers till the place shone in the season of darkness even as the day.  Then the eunuchs removed thither the wine-service and (quoth Abu al-Hasan) “I saw drinking-vessels and rarities whose like mine eyes never beheld, vases of gold and silver and all manner of noble metals and precious stones, such as no power of description can describe, till indeed it seemed to me I was dreaming, for excess of amazement at what I saw!” But as for Ali bin Bakkar, from the moment Shams al-Nahar left him, he lay strown on the ground for stress of love and desire; and, when he revived, he fell to gazing upon these things that had not their like and saying to Abu al-Hasan, “O my brother, I fear lest the Caliph see us or come to know of our case; but the most of my fear is for thee.  For myself,