When the criers had performed what the king had enjoined them, that prince ordered the mother and the daughter to be turned out of the palace, and left to their choice to go where they thought fit.  As soon as they appeared, all persons fled from them, so great an impression had the late prohibition made upon all.  They easily perceived that every body shunned them; but not knowing the reason, were much surprised; and their amazement was the greater, when coming into any street, or among any persons, they recollected some of their best friends, who immediately retreated with as much haste as the rest.  “What is the meaning of this,” said Ganem’s mother; “do we carry the plague about us?  Must the unjust and barbarous usage we have received render us odious to our fellow-citizens?  Come, my child,” added she, “let us depart from Damascus with all speed; let us not stay any longer in a city where we are become frightful to our very friends.”

The two wretched ladies, discoursing in this manner, came to one of the extremities of the city, and retired to a ruined house to pass the night.  Thither some Mussulmauns, out of charity and compassion, resorted to them after the day was shut in.  They carried them provisions, but durst not stay to comfort them, for fear of being discovered, and punished for disobeying the caliph’s orders.

In the mean time king Zinebi had let fly a pigeon to give the caliph an account of his exact obedience.  He informed him of all that had been executed, and conjured him to direct what he would have done with Ganem’s mother and sister.  He soon received the caliph’s answer in the same way, which was, that he should banish them from Damascus for ever.  Immediately the king of Syria sent men to the old house, with orders to take the mother and daughter, and to conduct them three days’ journey from Damascus, and there to leave them, forbidding them ever to return to the city.

Zinebi’s men executed their commission, but being less exact their master, in the strict performance of the caliph’s orders, they in pity gave the wretched ladies some small pieces of money, and each of them a scrip, which they hung about their necks, to carry their provisions.

In this miserable state they came to the first village.  The peasants’ wives flocked about them, and, as it appeared through their disguise that they were people of some condition, asked them what was the occasion of their travelling in a habit that did not seem to belong to them.  Instead of answering the question, they fell to weeping, which only served to heighten the curiosity of the peasants, and to move their compassion.  Ganem’s mother told them what she and her daughter had endured; at which the good countrywomen were sensibly afflicted, and endeavoured to comfort them.  They treated them as well as their poverty would permit, took off their horse-hair shifts, which were very uneasy to them, and put on them others which they gave them, with shoes, and something to cover their heads, and save their hair.