heard this, he sat up and said to her, "By my life, [is this thou
sayest] true?" "Ay, by thy life!" answered she; and he said,
"Bring him into my presence, so I may see him." But she replied,
"O my lord, there have betided him many stresses and his charms
are changed and his favour faded; and indeed the Commander of the
Faithful vouchsafed me a month; wherefore I will tend him the
rest of the month and then bring him to do his service to the
Commander of the Faithful." Quoth Er Reshid, "True; the condition
was for a month; but tell me what hath betided him." "O my lord,"
answered she, "may God prolong thy continuance and make Paradise
thy place of returning and thy harbourage and the fire the
abiding-place of thine enemies, when he presenteth himself to pay
his respects to thee, he will expound to thee his case and will
name unto thee those who have wronged him; and indeed this is an
arrear that is due to the Commander of the Faithful, in[FN#41]
whom may God fortify the Faith and vouchsafe him the mastery over
the rebel and the froward!"

Therewithal he ordered her a handsome house and bade furnish it
with carpets and other furniture and vessels of choice and
commanded that all she needed should be given her. This was done
during the rest of the day, and when the night came, she
despatched the eunuch with the mule and a suit of clothes, to
fetch Noureddin from the Muezzin's lodging. So the young man
donned the clothes and mounting; rode to the house, where he
abode in luxury and delight a full-told month, what while she
solaced him with four things, to wit, the eating of fowls and the
drinking of wine and the lying upon brocade and the entering the
bath after copulation. Moreover, she brought him six suits of
clothes and fell to changing his apparel day by day; nor was the