“Next morning, after thanking the master of the house for our good usage, we returned to Schemselnihar’s palace, where we entered in great disorder and distress, because we could not learn the fate of the two unfortunate lovers.  The other women of Schemselnihar were astonished to see me return without their lady.  We told them, we had left her at the house of one of her female friends, and that she would send for us when she wished to come home; with which excuse they seemed well satisfied.

“For my part, I spent the day in great uneasiness, and when night arrived, opening a small private gate, I espied a little boat on the canal which seemed driven by the stream.  I called to the waterman, and desired him to row up each side of the river, and look if he could not see a lady; and if he found her, to bring her along with him.  The two slaves and I waited impatiently for his return, and at length, about midnight, we saw the boat coming down with two men in it, and a woman lying along in the stern.  When the boat was come up, the two men helped the woman to rise, and then it was I knew her to be Schemselnihar.  I cannot express my joy at seeing her.

“I gave my hand to Schemselnihar to help her out of the boat; she had great need of my assistance, for she could hardly stand.  When she was landed, she whispered me in a tone expressive of her affliction, and bade me go and take a purse of one thousand pieces of gold and give it to the two soldiers that had accompanied her.  I left her to the care of the two slaves to support her, and having ordered the two soldiers to wait for me a moment, I took the purse, and returned instantly; I gave it to them, and having paid the waterman, shut the door.

“I then followed my lady, and overtook her before she had reached her chamber.  We immediately undressed her, and put her to bed, where she had not long been, before she became so ill that for the whole of the night we almost despaired of her life.  The day following, her other women expressed a great desire to see her; but I told them she had been greatly fatigued, and wanted rest.  The other two women and I gave her all the assistance in our power; but we should have given over every hope of her recovery, had I not at last perceived that the wine which we every now and then gave her had a sensible effect in recruiting her strength.  By importunity we at length prevailed with her to eat.

“When she recovered the use of her speech, for she had hitherto only wept, groaned, and sighed, I begged of her to tell me how she had escaped out of the hands of the robbers. ‘Why would you require of me,’ said she, with a profound sigh, ‘to renew my grief?  Would to God the robbers had taken away my life, rather than have preserved it; my misfortunes would then have had an end, whereas I live but to increase my sufferings.’

“Madam,’ I replied, ‘I beg you would not refuse me this favour.  You cannot but know that the wretched feel a consolation in relating their greatest misfortunes; what I ask would alleviate yours, if you would have the goodness to gratify me.’