Pagina 330 de 1116

Now when she finished her verse I thanked her, for indeed love of

her had gotten hold of my heart and my grief and anguish were

gone. We sat at converse and carousel till nightfall, and with

her I spent the night-such night never spent I in all my life!

On the morrow delight followed delight till midday, by which time

I had drunken wine so freely that I had lost my wits, and stood

up, staggering to the right and to the left, and said "Come, O my

charmer, and I will carry thee up from this underground vault and

deliver thee from the spell of thy Jinni." She laughed and

replied "Content thee and hold thy peace: of every ten days one

is for the Ifrit and the other nine are thine." Quoth I (and in

good sooth drink had got the better of me), "This very instant

will I break down the alcove whereon is graven the talisman and

summon the Ifrit that I may slay him, for it is a practice of

mine to slay Ifrits!" When she heard my words her colour waxed

wan and she said, "By Allah, do not!" and she began repeating:-