Then she took him and, seating him
beside her, said: "O my dearling, do thou (an thou be willing) come to
me this night and let us sup together. Sufficient to me hath been my
sorrow, for were I to sit mourning through a thousand years or even
two thousand, Aladdin would not return to me from the tomb. And I
depend upon thy say of yesterday; to wit, that my sire, the Sultan,
slew him in his stress of sorrow for serverance from me.
"Nor wonder thou an I have changed this day from what I was
yesterday, and the reason thereof is I have determined upon taking
thee to friend and playfellow in lieu of and succession to Aladdin,
for that now I have none other man but thyself. So I hope for thy
presence this night, that we may sup together and we may carouse and
drink somewhat of wine each with other, and especially 'tis my
desire that thou cause me taste the wine of thy natal soil, the
African land, because belike 'tis better than aught of the wine of
China we drink. I have with me some wine, but 'tis the growth of my
country and I vehemently wish to taste the wine produced by thine."
When the Maghrabi saw the love lavisht upon him by the Lady Badr
al-Budur, and noted her change from the sorrowful, melancholy woman
she was wont to be, he thought that she had cut off her hope of
Aladdin, and he joyed exceedingly and said to her: "I hear and obey, O
my lady, whatso thou wishest and all thou biddest.
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