righteous one."

Then he returned to his slave-girl and his grief had grown more
grievous and she said to him, "O my lord, did I not tell thee,
none would profit thee with aught of aid?" And he replied, "By
Allah, not one of them would show me his face or know me!" "O my
lord," quoth she, "sell some of the moveables and household
stuff, such as pots and pans, little by little; and expend the
proceeds until Allah Almighty shall provide." So he sold all of
that was in the house till nothing remained when he turned to
Anis al-Jalis and asked her "What shall we do now?"; and she
answered, "O my lord, it is my advice that thou rise forthwith
and take me down to the bazar and sell me. Thou knowest that
they father bought me for ten thousand dinars: haply Allah may
open thee a way to get the same price, and if it be His will to
bring us once more together, we shall meet again." "O Anis al-
Jalis," cried he, "by Allah it is no light matter for me to be
parted from thee for a single hour!" "By Allah, O my lord," she
replied, "nor is it easy to me either, but Need hath its own law,
as the poet said,

'Need drives a man into devious roads, * And pathways doubtful of
trend and scope:
No man to a rope[FN#27] will entrust his weight, * Save for cause
that calleth for case of rope.'"

Thereupon he rose to his feet and took her,[FN#28] whilst the
tears rolled down his cheek like rain; and he recited with the
tongue of the case these lines,