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When she had reached the age of nineteen, [FN#400] the Sultan of

Egypt heard of her and, sending for the Wazir her father, said to

him, 'Hear me, O Wazir: it hath reached mine ear that thou hast a

daughter and I wish to demand her of thee in marriage." The Wazir

replied, "O our lord the Sultan, deign accept my excuses and take

compassion on my sorrows, for thou knowest that my brother, who

was partner with me in the Wazirate, disappeared from amongst us

many years ago and we wot not where he is. Now the cause of his

departure was that one night, as we were sitting together and

talking of wives and children to come, we had words on the matter

and he went off in high dudgeon. But I swore that I would marry

my daughter to none save to the son of my brother on the day her

mother gave her birth, which was nigh upon nineteen years ago.