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Burton, Richard Francis

"The Arabian Nights"


Now the Lady Badr al-Budur, of her exceeding sorrow for severance
from her husband and her sire, the Sultan, and for the great mishap
which had happened to her from the Maghrabi, the magician, the
accursed, was wont to rise during the murk preceding dawn and to sit
in tears, inasmuch as she could not sleep o' nights and had forsworn
meat and drink. Her favorite slave girl would enter her chamber at the
hour of prayer salutation in order to dress her, and this time, by
decree of Destiny, when she threw open the window to let her lady
comfort and console herself by looking upon the trees and rills, and
she herself peered out of the lattice, she caught sight of her
master sitting below, and informed the Princess of this, saying: "O my
lady! O my lady! Here's my lord Aladdin seated at the foot of the
wall!" So her mistress arose hurriedly and gazing from the casement,
saw him, and her husband, raising his head, saw her, so she saluted
him and he saluted her, both being like to fly for joy. Presently
quoth she, "Up and come in to me by the private postern, for now the
accursed is not here," and she gave orders to the slave girl, who went
down and opened for him.


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