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to him, “O king, what is it thou regrettest with this exceeding regret?” Quoth he, “Thou knowest the stranger youth, who gave us the rubies?” “Assuredly,” answered she; and he said, “Yonder youths, who have halted in the palace court, are his mamelukes, and his father King El Aziz, lord of Yemen, hath pitched his camp in the Green Meadow; for he is come with his army to seek him, and the number of his troops is [four-and-]twenty thousand men.” [Then he went out from her], and when she heard his words, she wept sore for him and had compassion on his case and sent after him, counselling him to send for the mamelukes and lodge them [in the palace] and entertain them.
The king gave ear to her counsel and despatching the eunuch for the mamelukes, assigned them a lodging and said to them, “Have patience, till the king give you tidings of your lord El Abbas.” When they heard his words, their eyes ran over with plenteous tears, of their much longing for the sight of their lord. Then the king bade the queen enter the privy chamber[1] and let down the curtain[2] [before the door thereof]. So she did this and he summoned them to his presence. When they stood before him, they kissed the earth, to do him worship, and showed forth their breeding[3] and magnified his dignity. He bade them sit, but they refused, till he
