al-Din "O my son, whenas a greybeard entereth, I will meet him
and seat him at the table in the pavilion; and do thou, in like
manner, receive the beardless youths and seat them at the table
in the saloon." He asked, "O my father, why dost thou spread two
tables, one for men and another for youths?"; and he answered, "O
my son, the beardless is ashamed to eat with the bearded." And
his son thought this his answer full and sufficient. So when the
merchants arrived, Shams al-Din received the men and seated them
in the pavilion, whilst Ala al-Din received the youths and seated
them in the saloon. Then the food was set on and the guests ate
and drank and made merry and sat over their wine, whilst the
attendants perfumed them with the smoke of scented woods, and the
elders fell to conversing of matters of science and traditions of
the Prophet. Now there was amongst them a merchant called Mahmud
of Balkh, a professing Moslem but at heart a Magian, a man of
lewd and mischievous life who loved boys. And when he saw Ala
al-Din from whose father he used to buy stuffs and merchandise,
one sight of his face sent him a thousand sighs and Satan dangled
the jewel before his eyes, so that he was taken with love-longing
and desire and affection and his heart was filled with mad
passion for him. Presently he arose and made for the youths, who
stood up to receive him; and at this moment Ala Al-Din being
taken with an urgent call of Nature, withdrew to make water;
whereupon Mahmud turned to the other youths and said to them, "If
ye will incline Ala al-Din's mind to journeying with me, I will
give each of you a dress worth a power of money." Then he
returned from them to the men's party; and, as the youths were
sitting, Ala al-Din suddenly came back, when all rose to receive
him and seated him in the place of highest honour. Presently, one
of them said to his neighbour, "O my lord Hasan, tell me whence