When he had
finished these words, he clapped his hands, and commanded his
servants, who then appeared, to cover the table; which was
speedily done, and my brother was treated with all those viands
in reality which he ate of before in fancy. At last they took
them away, and brought wine; and at the same time a number of
handsome slaves, richly apparelled, came in and sung some
agreeable airs to their musical instruments. In a word, Schacabac
had all the reason in the world to be satisfied with the
Bermecide's civility and bounty; for he treated him as his
familiar friend, and ordered him a suit out of his wardrobe.
The Bermecide found my brother to be a man of so much wit and
understanding, that in a few days after he trusted him with his
household, and all his affairs. My brother acquitted himself very
well in that employment for twenty years, at the end of which the
generous Bermecide died, and, leaving no heirs, all his estate
was confiscated to the use of the prince; upon which my brother
was reduced to his first condition, and joined a caravan of
pilgrims going to Mecca, designing to accomplish that pilgrimage
upon their charity; but by misfortune the caravan was attacked
and plundered by a number of Beduins [Footnote: Vagabond
Arabians, who wander in the deserts, and plunder the caravans
when they are not strong enough to resist them.
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