so he went in to his parent and said to her, “O my mother, indeed this servant is no boy, but a maiden girl and my wish is that thou discover for me her case and make manifest to me her condition and marry me to her, for that my heart is fulfilled of her love.”  Now by the decree of the Decreer I was privily listening to all they said of me; so presently I arose, after washing the clothes and what else they had given me; but my state was changed by their talk and I knew and felt certified that the youth and his mother had recognised me for a girl.  I continued on this wise till eventide when I took the food and returned to my family and they all ate till they had eaten enough, when I told them my adventure and my conviction.  So my mother said to me, “What remaineth for us now to do?” and said I, “O my mother, let us arise, we three, before night shall set in and go forth ere they lock the Khan upon us;[FN#164] and if the door-keeper ask us aught let us answer, ’We are faring to spend the night in the house of the youth where our son is serving.’” My mother replied, “Right indeed is thy rede.”  Accordingly, all four of us went forth at the same time and when the porter asked, “This is night-tide and whither may ye be wending?” we answered, “We have been invited by the young man whom our son serveth for he maketh a Septena-festival[FN#165] and a bridal-feast:  so we purpose to night with him and return a-morn.”  Quoth he, “There is no harm in that.”  So we issued out and turned aside and sought the waste lands, the Veiler veiling us, and we ceased not walking till the day brake and we were sore a-wearied.  Then we sat for rest till the rise of sun and when it shone we four sprang up and strave with our wayfare throughout the first day and the second and the third until the seventh. (Now all this was related to Mohammed the Sultan of Cairo and his Wazir by the youngest Princess and they abode wondering at her words.) On the seventh day we reached this city and here we housed ourselves; but to this hour we have no news of our sire after the Minister was burnt nor do we know an he be whole or dead.  Yet we yearn for him:  so do thou, of thine abundant favour, O King of the Age, and thy perfect beneficence, send a messenger to seek tidings of him and to acquaint him with our case, when he will send to fetch us.  Here she ceased speaking and the Monarch and Minister both wondered at her words and exclaimed, “Exalted be He who decreeth to His servants severance and reunion.”  Then the Sultan of Cairo arose without stay or delay and wrote letters to the King of Al-Irak, the father of the damsels, telling him that he had taken them under his safeguard, them and their mother, and gave the writ to the Shaykh of the Cossids[FN#166] and appointed for it a running courier and sent him forth with it to the desert.  After this the King took the three maidens and their mother and carried them to his Palace where he set apart for them an apartment and he appointed for them what sufficed of appointments.