The king seated him at the head of the table; and when Afifeh saw
him and straitly considered him, she said, "By the virtue of
Mohammed, prince of the Apostles, this youth is of the sons of
the kings and cometh not to these parts but for some high
purpose!" Then she looked at Mariyeh and saw that her face was
changed, and indeed her eyes were dead in her face and she turned
not her gaze from El Abbas a glance of the eyes, for that the
love of him had gotten hold upon her heart. When the queen saw
what had befallen her daughter, she feared for her from reproach
concerning El Abbas; so she shut the wicket of the lattice and
suffered her not to look upon him more. Now there was a pavilion
set apart for Mariyeh, and therein were privy chambers and
balconies and lattices, and she had with her a nurse, who served
her, after the fashion of kings' daughters.

When the banquet was ended and the folk had dispersed, the king
said to El Abbas, "I would fain have thee [abide] with me and I
will buy thee a house, so haply we may requite thee the high
services for which we are beholden to thee; for indeed thy due is
imperative [upon us] and thy worth is magnified in our eyes; and
indeed we have fallen short of thy due in the matter of
distance."[FN#83] When the prince heard the king's speech, he
rose and sat down[FN#84] and kissing the earth, returned thanks
for his bounty and said, "I am the king's servant, wheresoever I
may be, and under his eye." Then he recounted to him the story of
the merchant and the manner of the buying of the house, and the
king said, "Indeed, I would fain have had thee with me and in my
neighbourhood."

Then El Abbas took leave of the king and went away to his own