who said to him, "What is the worth of these with thee and with
[other] the kings?" And he answered, "They are not to be found
save with the greatest of kings and none may avail to price them
with money." Quoth she, "Whence gottest thou them?" So he
recounted to her the story of El Abbas from first to last, and
she said, "By Allah, the claims of honour are imperative on us
and the king hath fallen short of his due; for that we have not
seen him bid him to his assembly, nor hath he seated him on his
left hand."

[When the king heard his wife's words], it was as if he had been
asleep and awoke; so he went forth of the harem and bade
slaughter fowls and dress meats of all kinds and colours.
Moreover, he assembled all his retainers and let bring sweetmeats
and dessert and all that beseemeth unto kings' tables. Then he
adorned his palace and despatched after El Abbas a man of the
chief officers of his household, who found him coming forth of
the bath, clad in a doublet of fine goats' hair and over it a
Baghdadi scarf; his waist was girt with a Rustec[FN#81] kerchief
and on his head he wore a light turban of Damietta make.

The messenger wished him joy of the bath and exceeded in doing
him worship. Then he said to him, "The king biddeth thee in
weal."[FN#82] "Hearkening and obedience," answered El Abbas and
accompanied the messenger to the king's palace.

Now Afifeh and her daughter Mariyeh were behind the curtain,
looking at him; and when he came before the king, he saluted him
and greeted him with the greeting of kings, whilst all who were
present stared at him and at his beauty and grace and perfection.