45
and keep the faith which thou plightedst to the King of the Jinn.” “O Mubarek,” answered the prince, “an thou knewest the transport which possesseth me for the love of this young lady[1] and how I still think of nothing but of taking her to Bassora and going in [to her]!” And Mubarek said to him, “Nay, O my lord; keep thy troth and play not the traitor to thine oath, lest there befall thee a sore calamity and thou lose thy life and the young lady lose hers also. Bethink thee of the oath which thou sworest and let not lust get the mastery over thine understanding, lest thou lose guerdon[2] and honour and life.” “O Mubarek,” rejoined Zein ul Asnam, “keep thou watch over her thyself and let me not see her.” So[3] Mubarek fell to keeping watch and ward over the bride in the prince’s stead and guarded the latter also, lest he should look on her; and so they journeyed on past the road leading unto Egypt and fared on their way to the Island of the Jinn.
When the bride beheld the journey (and indeed it was long upon her) and saw not her husband in all this
