Accordingly
the damsel handed him the cup and he, when he heard her words and
saw her drinking from his cup and passing hers to him and noted all
that show of love, fancied himself Iskandar, Lord of the Two Horns.
Then said she to him, the while swaying gracefully to either side
and putting her hand within his hand: "O my life, here is thy cup with
me and my cup with thee, and on this wise do lovers drink from each
other's cups." Then she bussed the brim and drained it to the dregs,
and again she kissed its lip and offered it to him. Thereat he flew
for joy and, meaning to do the like, raised her cup to his mouth and
drank off the whole contents, without considering whether there was
therein aught harmful or not. And forthright he rolled upon his back
in deathlike condition and the cup dropped from his grasp, whereupon
the Lady Badr al-Budur and the slave girls ran hurriedly and opened
the pavilion door to their lord Aladdin, who, disguised as a fellah,
entered therein.
He went up to the apartment of his wife, whom he found still sitting
at table, and facing her lay the Maghrabi as one slaughtered.
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