" Replied she: "Leave this
unseemly talk, and open thine eyes and look thou bear thyself
respectfully whenas thou seest him after this, and thou shalt win
thy wish."
When he heard her words, it was if he had been asleep and awoke, and
Allah removed the veil from his judgment, because of his good luck,
and he answered, "O my head and eyes!" Then said he to her, "Sleep, in
the name of Allah." So she lay down and fell asleep (and he afar
from her) till the morning, when she sought of him ink case and paper,
and when they were brought, wrote to Ibn al-Kirnas, the Caliph's
friend, acquainting him with her case and how at the end of all that
had befallen her she was with Khalifah the fisherman, who had bought
her. Then she gave him the scroll, saying-"Take this and hie thee to
the jewel market and ask for the shop of Ibn al-Kirnas the Jeweler and
give him this paper, and speak not." "I hear and I obey," answered
Khalifah, and going with the scroll to the market, inquired for the
shop of Ibn al-Kirnas. They directed him thither, and on entering it
he saluted the merchant, who returned his salaam with contempt and
said to him, "What dost thou want?" Thereupon he gave him the letter
and he took it, but read it not, thinking the fisherman a beggar who
sought an alms of him, and said to one of his lads, "Give him half a
dirham.
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