第73章 NOUREDDIN ALI OF CAIRO AND HIS SON BEDREDDIN HASSA

This pleased the eunuchwho laughed and taking Agib by the hand，entered the shop with him. Bedreddin ladled out a dishful of pomegranate-seedconserved with almonds and sugarand set it before themsaying'Ye do me honour. Eat and may health and enjoyment attend you！'And Agib said to him'Sit down and eat with usso haply God may unite us with him for whom we long.'O my son，'said Bedreddin'hast thou then suffered the loss of friendsat thy tender age？'Yes O uncle！'answered Agib'my heart irks me for the loss of a beloved onewho is none other than my father；and indeed my grandfather and myself have come forth to seek for him throughout the world. Alas I how I sigh to be united with him！'Then he wept sorewhilst Bedreddin wept at the sight of his tears and for his bereavementwhich recalled to him his own separation from those he loved and from his father and motherand the eunuch was moved to pity for him. Then they ate together till they were satisfiedand Agib and the eunuch rose and left the shop. At thisBedreddin felt as if his soul had departed his body and gone with themfor he could not live a moment without their sightalbeit he knew not that Agib was his son. So he rose and shutting his shophastened after them and overtook them before they went out at the great gate. The eunuch turned and said to him'What dost thou want？'When you left me，'replied Bedreddin'meseemed my soul had quitted my body，and as I had an occasion without the cityI thought to bear you company till I had done my business and so return.'The eunuch was vexed and said to Agib'This is what I feared. Because we entered this fellow's shop and ate that unlucky mouthfulhe thinks he has a right to presume upon usfor seehe follows us from place to place.'Agib turned and seeing the cook following himreddened for anger and said to the eunuch'Let him walk in the high road of the Muslims；but if he follow us when we turn aside to our tentswe will drive him away.'Then he bowed his head and walked onwith the eunuch behind him. When they came to the Plain of Pebbles and drew near their tentsAgib turned and saw Bedreddin still following him；whereat he was enraged，fearing least the eunuch should tell his grandfather and vexed that it should be said he had entered a cookshop and the cook had followed him. So he looked at Bedreddin and found his eyes fixed on himfor he was as it were a body without a soul；and it seemed to Agib that his eye was that of a knave or a lewd fellow.

So his rage redoubled and he took up a stone and threw it at Bedreddin. It struck him on the forehead and cut it open；and he fell down in a swoonwith the blood streaming down his face，whilst Agib and the eunuch made for the tents. When he came to himselfhe wiped away the blood and tore off a piece of the muslin of his turbanwith which he bound his headblaming himself and saying'I wronged the lad in closing my shop and following himso that he thought I was some lewd fellow.'Then he returned to his shopwhere he busied himself with the sale of his meats；and he yearned after his mother at Bassora and wept over her and recited the following verses：

If thou demand fair play of Fatetherein thou dost it wrong；And blame it notfor twas not madeindeedfor equity.

Take what lies ready to thy hand and lay concern asideFor troubled days and days of peace in life must surely be.

Meanwhilethe Vizierhis uncletarried in Damascus three days，then departed for Hemsand passing through that cityfared on by way of Hemah and Aleppo and thence through DiarbekirMaridin and Mosulmaking enquiries at every place he came totill he arrived at Bassorawhere he halted and presented himself before the Sultanwho received him with honour and consideration and asked the reason of his coming. The Vizier related to him his history and told him that Noureddin Ali was his brother，whereupon the Sultan commended the latter's soul to the mercy of God and said'Sirhe was my Vizier for fifteen yearsand I loved him greatly. Then he diedleaving a sonwho abode here but two months after his father's death；since which time he hath disappeared and we have never come upon any news of him. But his motherwho was the daughter of my former Vizieris still with us.'Shemseddin rejoiced to hear that his nephew's mother was still alive and said'O KingI wish to see her.'The King at once gave him leave to visit her；so he betook himself to his brother Noureddin's house and went round about it and kissed its threshold. And he bethought him of his brother and how he had died in a strange land and wept and repeated the following verses：

I wander through the hallsthe halls where Leila livedAnd kiss the lifeless walls that of her passage tell.

It is not for the house that I with passion burnBut for the cherished ones that erst therein did dwell.

Then he entered the gate and found himself in a spacious courtyardat the end whereof was a door vaulted over with hard stoneinlaid with vari-coloured marbles. He walked round about the houseand casting his eyes on the wallssaw the name of his brother Noureddin written on them in letters of gold. So he went up to the inion and kissed it and wept for his brother's loss and repeated the following verses：

I sue unto the rising suneach mornfor news of theeAnd of the lightning's lurid gleam I do for thee enquire.

The hands of passion and of pain sport with me all the night；Yet I complain not of the ills I suffer from desire.

O my belovedif the times be yet for me prolongedbe all consumed with separation's fire.

Lo！if thy sight one happy day should bless my longing eyes，There is no other thing on earth that I of Fate require.

Think not that other loves avail to solace me for thee；My heart can hold no love but thinemy faith can never tire.