Time was when fortune was to us even as a servant is， And in the loveliest of lands our happy lives did kiss.
Ah， who shall give me back the abode of my belov"d， wherein The Age"s Joy[FN#63] and Place"s Light[FN#64] erst dwelt in peace and bliss？
Then he cried out three times and fell down senseless， and the stoker rose and covered him. When Nuzhet ez Zeman heard the first verses， she called to mind her mother and father and brother； and when she heard the second， mentioning the names of herself and her brother and their sometime home， she wept and calling the eunuch， said to him， "Out on thee！ But now I heard him who recited the first time do so again， and that hard by. So， by Allah， an thou fetch him not to me， I will rouse the Chamberlain on thee， and he shall beat thee and turn thee away. But take these hundred dinars and give them to him and do him no hurt， but bring him to me gently. If he refuse， give him this purse of a thousand dinars and leave him and return to me and tell me， after thou hast informed thyself of his place and condition and what countryman he is. Return quickly and do not linger， and beware lest thou come back and say， "I could not find him."" So the eunuch went out and fell to examining the people and treading amongst them， but found none awake， for the folk were all asleep for weariness， till he came to the stoker and saw him sitting up，with his head uncovered. So he drew near him and seizing him by the hand， said to him， "It was thou didst recite the verses！" The stoker was affrighted and replied， "No， by Allah， O chief of the people， it was not I！" But the eunuch said， "I will not leave thee till thou show me who it was； for I fear to return to my lady without him." Thereupon the stoker feared for Zoulmekan and wept sore and said to the eunuch， "By Allah， it was not I， nor do I know who it was. I only heard some passer-by recite verses： so do not thou commit sin on me， for I am a stranger and come from Jerusalem， and Abraham the Friend of God be with thee！" "Come thou with me，" rejoined the eunuch， "and tell my lady this with thine own mouth， for I see none awake but thee." Quoth the stoker， "Hast thou not seen me sitting here and dost thou not know my station？ Thou knowest none can stir from his place，except the guards seize him. So go thou to thy mistress and if thou hear any one reciting again， whether it be near or far， it will be I or some one whom I shall know， and thou shalt not know of him but by me." Then he kissed the eunuch"s head and spoke him fair， till he went away； but he made a circuit and returning secretly， came and hid himself behind the stoker， fearing to go back to his mistress empty-handed. As soon as he was gone， the stoker aroused Zoulmekan and said to him， "Awake and sit up， that I may tell thee what has happened." So Zoulmekan sat up， and the stoker told him what had passed， and he answered， "Let me alone；
I will take no heed of this and I care for none， for I am near my own country." Quoth the stoker， "Why wilt thou obey thine own inclinations and the promptings of the devil？ If thou fearest no one， I fear for thee and myself； so God on thee， recite no more verses， till thou come to thine own country！ Indeed， I had not thought thee so self-willed. Dost thou not know that this lady is the wife of the Chamberlain and is minded to chide thee for disturbing her. Belike， she is ill or restless for fatigue， and this is the second time she hath sent the eunuch to look for thee." However， Zoulmekan paid no heed to him， but cried out a third time and repeated the following verses：
The carping tribe I needs must flee； Their railing chafes my misery.
They blame and chide at me nor know They do but fan the flame in me.
"She is consoled，" they say. And I， "Can one consoled for country be？"
Quoth they， "How beautiful she is！" And I， "How dear-belov"d is she！"
"How high her rank！" say they； and I， "How base is my humility！"
Now God forfend I leave to love， Deep though I drink of agony！
Nor will I heed the railing race， Who carp at me for loving thee.
Hardly had he made an end of these verses when the eunuch， who had heard him from his hiding， came up to him； whereupon the stoker fled and stood afar off， to see what passed between them.
Then said the eunuch to Zoulmekan， "Peace be on thee， O my lord！"
"And on thee be peace，" replied Zoulmekan， "and the mercy of God and His blessing！" "O my lord，" continued the eunuch， "this is the third time I have sought thee this night， for my mistress bids thee to her." Quoth Zoulmekan， "Whence comes this bitch that seeks for me？ May God curse her and her husband too！" And he began to revile the eunuch， who could make him no answer， because his mistress had charged him to do Zoulmekan no violence nor bring him， save of his free will， and if he would not come， to give him the thousand dinars. So he began to speak him fair and say to him， "O my lord， take this （purse） and go with me. We will do thee no unright nor wrong thee in aught； but we would have thee bend thy gracious steps with me to my mistress， to speak with her and return in peace and safety； and thou shalt have a handsome present." When Zoulmekan heard this， he arose and went with the eunuch， stepping over the sleeping folk， whilst the stoker followed them at a distance， saying to himself， "Alas， the pity of his youth！ To-morrow they will hang him. How base it will be of him， if he say it was I who bade him recite the verses！"
