“I know my son,” answered Ganem’s mother; “I have educated him carefully, and in that respect which is due to the commander of the believers.  He cannot have committed the crime he is accused of; I dare answer for his innocence.  But I will cease to murmur and complain, since it is for him that I suffer, and he is not dead.  O Ganem!” added she, in a transport of affection and joy, “my dear son Ganem! is possible that you are still alive?  I am no longer concerned for the loss of my fortune; and how harsh and unjust soever the caliph’s orders may be, I forgive him, provided heaven has preserved my son.  I am only concerned for my daughter; her sufferings alone afflict me; yet I believe her to be so good a sister as to follow my example.”

On hearing these words, the young lady, who till then had appeared insensible, turned to her mother, and clasping her arms about her neck, “Yes, dear mother,” said she, “I will always follow your example, whatever extremity your love for my brother may reduce us to.”

The mother and daughter thus interchanging their sighs and tears, continued a considerable time in such moving embraces.  In the mean time the queen’s women, who were much affected at the spectacle, omitted no persuasions to prevail with Ganem’s mother to take some sustenance.  She ate a morsel out of complaisance, and her daughter did the like.

The caliph having ordered that Ganem’s kindred should be exposed three days successively to the sight of the people, in the condition already mentioned, the unhappy ladies afforded the same spectacle the second time next day, from morning till night.  But that day and the following, the streets, which at first had been full of people, were now quite empty.  All the merchants, incensed at the ill usage of Abou Ayoub’s widow and daughter, shut up their shops, and kept themselves close within their houses.  The ladies, instead of looking through their lattice windows, withdrew into the back parts of their houses.  There was not a person to be seen in the public places through which those unfortunate women were carried.  It seemed as if all the inhabitants of Damascus had abandoned their city.

On the fourth day, the king resolving punctually to obey the caliph’s orders, though he did not approve of them, sent criers into all quarters of the city to make proclamation, strictly commanding all the inhabitants of Damascus, and strangers, of what condition soever, upon pain of death, and having their bodies cast to the dogs to be devoured, not to receive Ganem’s mother and sister into their houses, or give them a morsel of bread or a drop of water, and, in a word, not to afford them the least support, or hold the least correspondence with them.