through thee." Then she said to Ni'amah, "Say, art thou indeed
her lord?" He replied, "Yes," and she rejoined, "Thou sayest
sooth; for she ceaseth not continually to name thee." Then he
told her all that had passed from first to last, and she said, "O
youth, thou shalt owe thy reunion with her to none but myself."
So she mounted and, at once returning to Naomi, looked in her
face and laughed saying, "It is just, O my daughter, that thou
weep and fall sick for thy separation from thy master, Ni'amah,
son of Al-Rabi'a of Cufa." Quoth Naomi, "Verily, the veil hath
been withdrawn for thee and the truth revealed to thee." Rejoined
the old woman, "Be of good cheer and take heart, for I will
assuredly bring you together, though it cost me my life." Then
she returned to Ni'amah and said to him, "I went to thy slave-
girl and conversed with her, and I find that she longeth for thee
yet more than thou for her; for although the Commander of the
Faithful is minded to become intimate with her, she refuseth
herself to him. But if thou be stout of purpose and firm of
heart, I will bring you together and venture my life for you, and
play some trick and make shift to carry thee into the Caliph's
palace, where thou shalt meet her, for she cannot come forth."
And Ni'amah answered, "Allah requite thee with good!" Then she
took leave of him and went back to Naomi and said, "Thy lord is
indeed dying of love for thee and would fain see thee and
foregather with thee. What sayest thou?" Naomi replied, "And I
too am longing for his sight and dying for his love." Whereupon
the old woman took a parcel of women's clothes and ornaments and,
repairing to Ni'amah, said to him, "Come with me into some place
apart." So he brought her into the room behind the shop where she
stained his hands and decked his wrists and plaited his hair,
after which she clad him in a slave-girl's habit and adorned him