I open up this chapter, I shall be put to shame before
all Baghdad;” for he was one of the intimates
of the Caliph and so he could do nothing save hold
his peace. So he asked no questions, but said
to his wife, whose name was Mahziyah, “It hath
reached me that thy mother lieth ill of heart ache[FN#231]
and all the women are with her, weeping over her;
wherefore I order thee to go to her.” Accordingly,
she repaired to her mother’s house and found
her in the best of health; and she asked her daughter,
“What brings thee here at this hour?” So
she told her what her husband had said and sat with
her awhile; when behold, up came porters, who brought
her clothes from her husband’s house, and transporting
all her paraphernalia and what not else belonged to
her of goods and vessels, deposited them in her mother’s
lodging. When the mother saw this, she said to
her daughter, “Tell me what hath passed between
thee and thy husband, to bring about this.”
But she swore to her that she knew not the cause thereof
and that there had befallen nothing between them to
call for this conduct. Quoth her mother, “Needs
must there be a cause for this.” And she
answered, saying, “I know of none, and after
this, with Almighty Allah be it to make provision!”
Whereupon her mother fell a weeping and lamented her
daughter’s separation from the like of this
man, by reason of his sufficiency and fortune and
the greatness of his rank and dignity. On this
wise things abode some days, after which the curst,
ill omened old woman, whose name was Miryam the Koranist,[FN#232]
paid a visit to Mahziyah, in her mother’s house
and saluted her cordially, saying, “What ails
thee, O my daughter, O my darling? Indeed, thou
hast troubled my mind.” Then she went in
to her mother and said to her, “O my sister,
what is this business about thy daughter and her husband?
It hath reached me that he hath divorced her!
What hath she done to call for this?” Quoth
the mother, “Belike her husband will return to
her by the blessed influence of thy prayers, O Hafizah;
so do thou pray for her, O my sister, for thou art
a day faster and a night prayer.” Then
the three fell to talking together and the old woman
said to the damsel, “O my daughter, grieve not
for, if Allah please, I will make peace between thee
and thy husband before many days.” Then
she left them and going to the young merchant, said
to him, “Get ready a handsome entertainment for
us, for I will bring her to thee this very night.”
So he sprang up and went forth and provided all that
was fitting of meat and drink and so forth, then sat
down to await the twain; whilst the old woman returned
to the girl’s mother and said to her, “O
my sister, we have a splendid bride feast to night;
so let thy daughter go with me, that she may divert
herself and make merry with us and throw off her cark
and care, and forget the ruin of her home. I
will bring her back to thee even as I took her away.”
The mother dressed her daughter in her finest dress