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When the Porter looked upon her his wits were waylaid, and his

senses were stormed so that his crate went nigh to fall from his

head, and he said to himself, "Never have I in my life seen a day

more blessed than this day!" Then quoth the lady portress to the

lady cateress, "Come in from the gate and relieve this poor man

of his load." So the provisioner went in followed by the portress

and the Porter and went on till they reached a spacious ground

floor hall,[FN#148] built with admirable skill and beautified

with all manner colours and carvings; with upper balconies and

groined arches and galleries and cupboards and recesses whose

curtains hung before them. In the midst stood a great basin full

of water surrounding a fine fountain, and at the upper end on the

raised dais was a couch of juniper wood set with gems and pearls,

with a canopy like mosquito curtains of red satin silk looped up

with pearls as big as filberts and bigger.