suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was

The Three Hundred and Seventieth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the damsel
continued:--So the young man's mother made certain that her
servant lad was a virgin lass. But she concealed her secret from
her son and was kind to me and showed me respect and, of the
goodness of her heart, sent me back early to my mother and
sisters. Now one day of the days the youth came home about noon
as was his wont; and he found me with sleeves tucked up to the
elbows engaged in washing a bundle of shirts and turbands; and I
was careless of myself so he drew near me and noted my cheeks
that flushed rosy red and eyes which were as those of the thirsty
gazelle and my scorpion locks hanging adown my side face. This
took place in summertide; and when he saw me thus his wits were
distraught and his sound senses were as naught and his judgment
was in default: so he went in to his parent and said to her, "O
my mother, indeed this servant is no boy, but a maiden girl and
my wish is that thou discover for me her case and make manifest
to me her condition and marry me to her, for that my heart is
fulfilled of her love." Now by the decree of the Decreer I was
privily listening to all they said of me; so presently I arose,
after washing the clothes and what else they had given me; but my