and colours and bought dessert and sweetmeats and fresh fruits.
Then he repaired to El Abbas and conjured him to accept of his
hospitality and enter his house and eat of his victual. The
prince consented to his wishes and went with him till they came
to his house, when the merchant bade him enter. So El Abbas
entered and saw a goodly house, wherein was a handsome saloon,
with a vaulted estrade. When he entered the saloon, he found that
the merchant had made ready food and dessert and perfumes, such
as overpass description; and indeed he had adorned the table with
sweet-scented flowers and sprinkled musk and rose-water upon the
food. Moreover, he had smeared the walls of the saloon with
ambergris and set [the smoke of burning] aloes-wood abroach
therein.

Presently, El Abbas looked out of the window of the saloon and
saw thereby a house of goodly ordinance, lofty of building and
abounding in chambers, with two upper stories; but therein was no
sign of inhabitants. So he said to the merchant, "Indeed, thou
exceedest in doing us honour; but, by Allah, I will not eat of
thy victual till thou tell me what is the reason of the emptiness
of yonder house." "O my lord," answered the other, "that was El
Ghitrif's house and he was admitted to the mercy of God[FN#79]
and left none other heir than myself; so it became mine, and by
Allah, if thou hast a mind to sojourn in Baghdad, do thou take up
thine abode in this house, so thou mayst be in my neighbourhood;
for that indeed my heart inclineth unto thee with love and I
would have thee never absent from my sight, so I may still have
my fill of thee and hearken to thy speech." El Abbas thanked him
and said to him, "Indeed, thou art friendly in thy speech and
exceedest [in courtesy] in thy discourse, and needs must I