��O rare! an but swevens
prove true!”[434] Then he went to the jeweller’s shop and sitting down
by him, said to him, “O master, I set out for home in three days’ time,
and am come to farewell thee. So I would have thee reckon what I owe
thee for the hire of the house, that I may pay it to thee and acquit my
conscience.” Answered Obayd, “What talk is this? Verily, ’tis I who am
indebted to thee. By Allah, I will take nothing from thee for the rent
of the house, for thou hast brought down blessings upon us! However,
thou desolatest me by thy departure, and but that it is forbidden to me,
I would certainly oppose thee and hinder thee from returning to thy
country and kinsfolk.” Then he took leave of him, whilst they both wept
with sore weeping and the jeweller went with him, and when they entered
Kamar al-Zaman’s house, there they found Halimah who stood before them
and served them; but when Obayd returned home, he found her sitting
there; nor did he cease to see her thus in each house in turn, for the
space of three days, when she said to Kamar al-Zaman, “Now have I
transported to thee all that he hath of monies and hoards and carpets
and things of price, and there remaineth with him naught save the
slave-girl, who used to come in to you with the night-drink: but I
cannot part with her, for that she is my kinswoman and she is dear to me
as a confidante. So I will beat her and be wroth with her and when my
spouse cometh home, I will say to him:—I can no longer put up with this
slave-girl nor stay in the house with her; so take her and sell her.
Accordingly he will sell her and do thou buy her, that we may carry her
with us.” Answered he, “No harm in that.” So she beat the girl and when
the jeweller came in, he found her weeping and asked her why she wept.
Quoth she, “My mistress hath beaten me.” He then went in to his wife and
said to her, “What hath that accursed girl done, that thou hast beaten
her?” She replied, “O man, I have but one word to say to thee, and ’tis
that I ca