house, I saw a fair woman approaching, and with her a slave-girl
carrying a parcel. They gave not over going till they came up to
me, when the woman stopped and said to me, 'Hast thou a draught
of water?' 'Yes,' answered I. 'Enter the vestibule, O my lady, so
thou mayst drink.' Accordingly, she entered and I went up into
the house and fetched two mugs of earthenware, perfumed with
musk[FN#175] and full of cold water. She took one of them and
discovered her face, [that she might drink]; whereupon I saw that
she was as the shining sun or the rising moon and said to her, 'O
my lady, wilt thou not come up into the house, so thou mayst rest
thyself till the air grow cool and after go away to thine own
place?' Quoth she, 'Is there none with thee?' 'Indeed,' answered
I, 'I am a [stranger] and a bachelor and have none belonging to
me, nor is there a living soul in the house.' And she said, 'An
thou be a stranger, thou art he in quest of whom I was going
about.'

Then she went up into the house and put off her [walking] clothes
and I found her as she were the full moon. I brought her what I
had by me of meat and drink and said to her, 'O my lady, excuse
me: this is that which is ready.' Quoth she, 'This is abundant
kindness and indeed it is what I sought' And she ate and gave the
slave-girl that which was left; after which I brought her a
casting-bottle of rose-water, mingled with musk, and she washed
her hands and abode with me till the season of afternoon-prayer,
when she brought out of the parcel that she had with her a shirt
and trousers and an upper garment[FN#176] and a kerchief
wroughten with gold and gave them to me; saying, 'Know that I am
one of the favourites of the Khalif, and we are forty favourites,
each one of whom hath a lover who cometh to her as often as she