hands; after which I led them to another sitting-room and brought them wine.  So they drank and drank deep and inclined to each other; and presently Shams al-Nahar said to me, ’O my master, complete thy kindness by bringing us a lute or other instrument of mirth and music that the measure of our joy may be fully filled.’  I replied, ‘On my head and eyes!’ and rising brought her a lute, which she took and tuned; then laying it in her lap she touched it with a masterly touch, at once exciting to sadness and changing sorrow to gladness; after which she sang these two couplets,

     ’My sleeplessness would show I love to bide on wake; *
          And would my leanness prove that sickness is my make: 
     And tear-floods course adown the cheeks they only scald; *
          Would I knew union shall disunion overtake!’

Then she went on to sing the choicest and most affecting poesy to many and various modes, till our senses were bewitched and the very room danced with excess of delight and surprise at her sweet singing; and neither thought nor reason was left in us.  When we had sat awhile and the cup had gone round amongst us, the damsel took the lute and sang to a lively measure these couplets,

’My love a meeting promised me and kept it faithfully, *
     One night as many I shall count in number and degree: 
O Night of joyance Fate vouchsafed to faithful lovers tway, *
     Uncaring for the railer loon and all his company! 
My lover lay the Night with me and clipt me with his right, *
     While I with left embraced him, a-faint for ecstasy;
And hugged him to my breast and sucked the sweet wine of his
     lips, * Full savouring the honey-draught the honey-man sold
     to me.’

Whilst we were thus drowned in the sea of gladness” (continued the jeweller) “behold, there came in to us a little maid trembling and said, ’O my lady, look how you may go away for the folk have found you out and have surrounded the house; and we know not the cause of this!’ When I heard her words, I arose startled and lo! in rushed a slave-girl who cried, ’Calamity hath come upon you.’  At the same moment the door was burst open and there rushed in upon us ten men masked in kerchiefs with hangers in their hands and swords by their sides, and as many more behind them.  When I saw this, the world was straitened on me for all its wideness, and I looked to the door but saw no issue; so I sprang from the terrace into the house of one of my neighbours and there hid myself.  Thence I found that folk had entered my lodgings and were making a mighty hubbub; and I concluded that the Caliph had got wind of us and had sent his Chief of the Watch to seize us and bring us before him.  So I abode confounded and ceased not remaining in my place, without any possibility of quitting it till midnight.  And presently the house-master arose, for he had heard me moving, and he feared with exceeding great fear of me; so he came