self as one of your most humble slaves.” When he had spoken these words he would have returned the money he had received, but Zobeide ordered him to keep it. “What we have once given,” said she, “we never take back. We are willing to allow you to stay on one condition, that you keep secret and do not ask the reason for anything you may see us do. To show you,” said Zobeide, with a serious countenance, “that what we demand of you is not a new thing among us, read what is written over our gate on the inside.”
The porter read these words, written in large characters of gold: “He who speaks of things that do not concern him, shall hear things that will not please him.” “Ladies,” said he, “I swear to you that you shall never hear me utter a word respecting what does not relate to me, or wherein you may have any concern.”
These preliminaries being settled, Amina brought in supper, and after she had lighted up the room with tapers made of aloe-wood and ambergris, which yield a most agreeable perfume as well as a delicate light, she sat down with her sisters and the porter. They began to eat and drink, to sing and repeat verses. When they were all as merry as possible, they suddenly heard a knocking at the gate. Safie, whose office it was, went to the porch, and quickly returning, told them thus: “There are three calenders at the door, all blind of the right eye, and have their heads, beards, and eyebrows shaved. They say that they are only just arrived at Bagdad, where
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