I knocked at the door, and presently two little girl slaves, white as snow, and neatly dressed, came and opened it.  Be pleased to come in, sir, said they, our mistress expects you impatiently; for two days she has spoken of nothing but you.  I entered the court, and saw a great pavilion raised upon seven steps, and surrounded with iron rails that parted it from a very pleasant garden.  Besides the trees which embellished the prospect, and formed an agreeable shade, there was an infinite number of other trees loaded with all manner of fruit.  I was charmed with the warbling of a great number of birds, which joined their notes to the murmurings of a very high water-work in the middle of a ground-plot enamelled with flowers.  This water- work was a very agreeable sight; four large gilded dragons adorned the angles of the bason, which was of a square form; and these dragons spouted out water clearer than rock crystal.  This delicious place gave me a charming idea of the conquest I had made.  The two little slaves conducted me into a parlour magnificently furnished, and while one of them went to acquaint her mistress with my arrival, the other tarried behind, and pointed out to me the ornaments of the hall.

I did not tarry long in the hall, said the young man of Bagdad, ere the lady I loved appeared, adorned with pearls and diamonds; but the splendour of her eyes did far outshine that of her jewels.  Her shape, which was not now disguised by the habit usual in the streets, was extremely fine and charming.  I need not mention with what joy we received one another; it leaves all expression far behind it:  I shall only tell you, that when the first compliments were over, we sat both down upon a sofa, and there entertained one another with all imaginable satisfaction.  After that, we had the most delicious messes served up to us, and, after eating, continued our discourse till night.  At night we had excellent wine brought up, and such fruit as is apt to promote drinking, and timed our cups to the sound of musical instruments joined to the voices of the slaves.  The lady of the house sung herself, and by her songs screwed up my passion to the height.  In fine, I passed the night in the full enjoyment of all manner of pleasure.

Next morning I slipped under the bolster of the bed the purse with the fifty pieces of gold I had brought with me, and took leave of the lady, who asked me when I would see her again?  Madam, said I, I give you my promise to return this night.  She seemed transported with my answer, and, conducting me to the door, conjured me, at parting, to be mindful of my promise.  The same man that had carried me thither waited for me with his ass to carry me home again; so I mounted the ass, and went straight home, ordering the man to come to me again in the afternoon at a certain hour; to secure which, I would not pay him till the time came.  As soon as I arrived at my lodging, my first care was to order my folks to buy a good lamb and several sorts of cakes, which I sent by a porter as a present to the lady.  When that was done, I minded my serious affairs till the owner of the ass came; then I went along with him to the lady’s house, and was received by her with as much joy as before, and entertained with equal magnificence.