" She replied: "Every
day he cometh to visit me once and no more. He would woo me to his
love, and he sueth that I take him to spouse in lieu of thee and
that I forget thee and he consoled for the loss of thee. And he
telleth me that the Sultan, my sire, hath cut off my husband's head,
adding that thou, the son of pauper parents, wast by him enriched. And
he sootheth me with talk, but he never seeth aught from me save
weeping and wailing, nor hath he heard from me one sugar-sweet
word." Quoth Aladdin: "Tell me where he hath placed the lamp, an
thou know anything thereof," and quoth she: "He beareth it about on
his body alway, nor is it possible that he leave it for a single hour.
Moreover, once when he related what I have now recounted to thee, he
brought it out of his breast pocket and allowed me to look upon it."
When Aladdin heard these words, he joyed with exceeding joy and
said: "O my lady, do thou lend ear to me. 'Tis my design to go from
thee forthright and to return only after doffing this my dress, so
wonder not when thou see me changed, but direct one of thy women to
stand by the private postern alway, and whenever she espy me coming,
at once to open.
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