Then she turned away in tears and I with her and returned to the garden where she said to me，'By Allah！I conjure thee never leave me！''To hear is to obey，'replied I.Then I gave myself wholly up to her and paid her frequent visits：she was good and generous to me；and as often as I passed the night with her，she would make much of me and would ask me of the two saws my cousin Azizah told my mother and I would repeat them to her.And matters ceased not to be on this wise and I continued for a whole year eating and drinking and enjoying dalliance and wearing change of rich raiment until I waxed gross and fat，so that I
lost all thought of sorrowing and mourning，and I clean forgot my cousin Azizah.And on New Year's day I went to the bath，where I refreshed myself and put on a suit of sumptuous clothes；then coming out I drank a cup of wine and smelt the scent of my new gear which was perfumed with various essences；and my breast was broadened thereby，for I knew not the tricks of Pate nor the changing ways of Time.When the hour of night prayer came，I was minded to repair to my lover；but，being the worse for wine，I knew not when going to her whither I went，so my drunkenness turned me into a by street called Syndic Street；[523] and the while I walked up that street behold，I caught sight of an old woman faring with a lighted taper in one hand，and in the other a folded letter.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Twenty-second Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the young merchant，whose name was Aziz，continued to Taj al-Muluk：--And when I entered the street called Syndic Street behold，I caught sight of an old woman walking with a lighted taper in one hand and in the other a folded letter and I drew near her and lo！she was weeping and repeating these couplets，'O glad news bearer well come！Welcome！Hail！How sweet thy speech to me，what treat thy tale：
O messenger from him whose weal I love，God bless thee long as breathes soft morning-gale！'
Now when she saw me she asked，'O my son！ canst thou read？'；and I answered，of my officiousness，'Yes，old naunty！'Rejoined she，'Then take this letter and read it to me.'And when she handed it to me，I took it and unfolding it read it to her and behold it was from an absent man to his friends and lovers whom he greeted；and，when she heard its purport，she rejoiced at the good tidings and blessed me，saying，'Allah dispel thine anxiety，even as thou hast dispelled mine！'Then she took the letter and walked on.
Meanwhile，I was urged by a call of nature and sat down on my heels to make water.[524] When I had ended I stood up and wiped the orifice with a pebble and then，letting down my clothes，I was about to wend my way，when suddenly the old woman came up to me again and，bending down over my hand，kissed it and said，'O my master！the Lord give thee joy of thy youth！I entreat thee to walk with me a few steps as far as yonder door，for I told them what thou didst read to me of the letter，and they believe me not，so come with me two steps and read them the letter from behind the door and accept the prayers of a righteous woman.'I enquired，'What is the history of this letter？'，and she replied，'O my son，this letter is from my son，who hath been absent for a term of ten years.He set out with a stock of merchandise and tarried long in foreign parts，till we lost hope of him and supposed him to be dead.Now after all that delay cometh this letter from him，and he hath a sister who weepeth for him night and day；so I said to her，'He is well and all right.'
But she will not believe me and declares，'There is no help but thou bring me one who will read this letter in my presence，that my heart may be at rest and my mind at ease.'Thou knowest，O my son，that all who love are wont to think evil：so be good enough to go with me and read to her this letter，standing behind the curtain，whilst I call his sister to listen within the door，so shalt thou dispel our heed and fulfil our need.Verily quoth the Apostle of Allah （whom Allah bless and preserve！），'Whoso easeth the troubled of one of the troubles of this troublous world，Allah will ease him of an hundred troubles'；and according to another tradition，'Whoso easeth his brother of one of the troubles of this troublous world，Allah shall relieve him of seventy and two troubles on the Day of Resurrection.'And I have betaken myself to thee；so disappoint me not.'Replied I，'To hear is to obey：do thou go before me！'So she walked on devancing me and I followed her a little way，till she came to the gate of a large and handsome mansion whose door was plated with copper.[525]I stood behind the door，whilst the old woman cried out in Persian，and ere I knew it a damsel ran up with light and nimble step.She had tucked up her trousers to her knees，so that I saw a pair of calves that confounded thinker and lighter，and the maid herself was as saith the poet describing her，'O thou who barest leg calf，better to suggest For passion madded amourist better things above！
Towards its lover cloth the bowl go round and run；Cup[526]and cup bearer only drive us daft with love.'[527]
Now these legs were like two pillars of alabaster adorned with anklets of gold，wherein were set stones of price.And the damsel had tucked up the end of her gown under her arm pit and had rolled up her sleeves to the elbow，so that I could see her white wrists whereon were two pairs of bracelets with clasps of great pearls；and round her neck was a collar of costly gems.
