The jeweller thought his slave's conjecture probable: he entered
the house, and saw that the highwaymen had taken all the
furniture out of the chamber where he received Schemselnihar and
her lover; that they had also carried off the vessels of gold and
silver, and, in a word, had left nothing. Being in this
condition, O Heaven! cried he, I am irrecoverably undone! What
will my friends say, and what excuse can I make, when I tell them
that highwaymen have broken into my house, and robbed me of all
that they generously lent me? I shall never be able to make up
their loss. Besides, what is become of Schemselnihar and the
prince of Persia? This business will be so public, that it is
impossible but it must reach the caliph's ears. He will get
notice of this meeting, and I shall fall a sacrifice to his fury.
The slave, who loved him, endeavoured to comfort him thus: As to
Schemselnihar, said he, the highwaymen probably would content
themselves to strip her; and you have reason to think that she is
retired to her palace with her slaves. The prince of Persia is
probably in the same condition; so that you have reason to hope
that the caliph will never know of this adventure. As for the
loss your friends have sustained, that is a misfortune which you
could not avoid. They know very well the highwaymen to be so
numerous, that they have not only pillaged the house I have
already spoken of, but many other houses of the principal
noblemen of the court; and they are not ignorant that,
notwithstanding the orders given to apprehend them, nobody has
yet been able to seize any of them.
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