Amine, by understanding her sister's meaning,
rose up from her seat, carried away the dishes, the table, the
flasks, and cups, together with the instruments which the
calenders had played upon.
Safie was not idle, but swept the room, put every thing again in
its place, snuffed the candies, and put fresh aloes and ambergris
to them, and then prayed the three calenders to sit down upon the
sofa on one side, and the caliph, with his companions, on the
other. As to the porter, she savs to him, Get up, and prepare
yourself to serve in what we are going to be about; a man like
you, who is one of the family, ought not to be idle. The porter,
being somewhat recovered from his wine, gets up immediately, and,
having tied the sleeve of his gown to his belt, answers, Here am
I, ready to obey your commands in any thing. That is very well,
replied Safie; stay till you are spoken to; you shall not be idle
very long. A little time after, Amine came in with a chair, which
she placed in the middle of the room; and so went to a closet,
which having opened, she beckoned to the porter, and says to him,
Come hither and help me; which he obeying, entered the closet,
and returned immediately leading two black bitches, with each of
them a collar and chain; they looked as if they had been severely
whipped with rods, and he brought them into the middle of the
room.
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