Ganem took the veil, and read these words, “I am yours, and you are mine, thou descendant from the prophet’s uncle.”  That descendant from the prophet’s uncle was the caliph Haroon al Rusheed, who then reigned, and was descended from Abbas, Mahummud’s uncle.

When Ganem perceived these words, “Alas! madam,” said he, in a melancholy tone, “I have just saved your life, and this writing is my death!  I do not comprehend all the mystery; but it convinces me I am the most unfortunate of men.  Pardon, madam, the liberty I take, but it was impossible for me to see you without giving you my heart.  You are not ignorant yourself, that it was not in my power to refuse it you, and that makes my presumption excusable.  I proposed to myself to touch your heart by my respectful behaviour, my care, my assiduity, my submission, my constancy; and no sooner have I formed the flattering design, than I am robbed of all my hopes.  I cannot long survive so great a misfortune.  But, be that as it will, I shall have the satisfaction of dying entirely yours.  Proceed, madam, I conjure you, and give me full information of my unhappy fate.”

He could not utter those words without letting fall some tears.  The lady was moved; but was so far from being displeased at the declaration he made, that she felt secret joy; for her heart began to yield.  However, she concealed her feelings, and as if she had not regarded what Ganem had said.  “I should have been very cautious,” answered she, “of strewing you my veil, had I thought it would have given you so much uneasiness; but I do not perceive that what I have to say to you can make your condition so deplorable as you imagine.”

“You must understand,” proceeded she, “in order to acquaint you with my story, that my name is Fetnah (which signifies disturbance), which was given me at my birth, because it was judged that the sight of me would one day occasion many calamities.  Of this you cannot be ignorant, since there is nobody in Bagdad but knows that the caliph, my sovereign lord and yours, has a favourite so called.

“I was carried into his palace in my tenderest years, and I have been brought up with all the care that is usually taken with such persons of my sex as are destined to reside there.  I made no little progress in all they took the pains to teach me; and that, with some share of beauty, gained me the affection of the caliph, who allotted me a particular apartment adjoining to his own.  That prince was not satisfied with such a mark of distinction; he appointed twenty women to wait on me, and as many eunuchs; and ever since he has made me such considerable presents, that I saw myself richer than any queen in the world.  You may judge by what I have said, that Zobeide, the caliph’s wife and kinswoman, could not but be jealous of my happiness.  Though Haroon has all the regard imaginable for her, she has taken every possible opportunity to ruin me.