"These words are from her whom melancholy destroys and whom watching hath wasted； in her darkness there are no lights found，and she knows not night from day. She tosses from side to side on the couch of separation and her eyes are blackened with the pencils of sleeplessness； she watches the stars and strains her sight into the darkness： verily， sadness and emaciation have consumed her and the setting forth of her case would be long. No helper hath she but tears and she reciteth the following verses：
"No turtle warbles on the branch， before the break of morn， But stirs in me a killing grief， a sadness all forlorn.
No lover， longing for his loves， complaineth of desire， But with a doubled stress of woe my heart is overborne.
Of passion I complain to one who hath no ruth on me. How soul and body by desire are， one from other， torn！"
Then her eyes brimmed over with tears， and she wrote these verses also：
"Love-longing， the day of our parting， my body with mourning smote， And severance from my eyelids hath made sleep far remote.
I am so wasted for yearning and worn for sickness and woe， That，were it not for my speaking， thou"dst scarce my presence note."
Then she wept and wrote at the foot of the scroll， "This is from her who is far from her people and her native land， the sorrowful-hearted Nuzhet ez Zeman." She folded the letter and gave it to the merchant， who took it and reading what was written in it， rejoiced and exclaimed， "Glory to Him who fashioned thee！"
Then he redoubled in kindness and attention to her all that day；
and at nightfall， he sallied out to the market and bought food，wherewith he fed her； after which he carried her to the bath and said to the tire-woman， "As soon as thou hast made an end of washing her head， clothe her and send and let me know." Meanwhile he fetched food and fruit and wax candles and set them on the dais in the outer room of the bath； and when the tire-woman had done washing her， she sent to tell the merchant， and Nuzhet ez Zeman went out to the outer room， where she found the tray spread with food and fruit. So she ate， and the tire-woman with her， and gave what was left to the people and keeper of the bath. Then she slept till the morning， and the merchant lay the night in a place apart. When he awoke， he came to her and waking her， presented her with a shift of fine silk， a kerchief worth a thousand dinars， a suit of Turkish brocade and boots embroidered with red gold and set with pearls and jewels. Moreover， he hung in each of her ears a circlet of gold， with a fine pearl therein， worth a thousand dinars， and threw round her neck a collar of gold， with bosses of garnet and a chain of amber beads， that hung down between her breasts to her middle. Now this chain was garnished with ten balls and nine crescents and each crescent had in its midst a beazel of ruby and each ball a beazel of balass ruby. The worth of the chain was three thousand dinars and each of the balls was worth twenty thousand dirhems， so that her dress in all was worth a great sum of money. When she had put these on， the merchant bade her make her toilet， and she adorned herself to the utmost advantage. Then he bade her follow him and walked on before her through the streets， whilst the people wondered at her beauty and exclaimed， "Blessed be God， the most excellent Creator！ O fortunate man to whom she shall belong！" till they reached the Sultan"s palace； when he sought an audience of Sherkan and kissing the earth before him， said， "O august King， I have brought thee a rare gift， unmatched in this time and richly covered with beauty and good qualities." "Let me see it，" said Sherkan. So the merchant went out and returning with Nuzhet ez Zeman， made her stand before Sherkan. When the latter beheld her，blood drew to blood， though he had never seen her， having only heard that he had a sister called Nuzhet ez Zeman and a brother called Zoulmekan and not having made acquaintance with them， in his jealousy of them， because of the succession. Then said the merchant， "O King， not only is she without peer in her time for perfection of beauty and grace， but she is versed to boot in all learning， sacred and profane， besides the art of government and the abstract sciences." Quoth Sherkan， "Take her price， according to what thou gavest for her， and go thy ways." "I hear and obey，"
replied the merchant； "but first I would have thee write me a patent， exempting me for ever from paying tithe on my merchandise." "I will do this，" said Sherkan； "but first tell me what you paid for her." Quoth the merchant， "I bought her for a hundred thousand dinars， and her clothes cost me as much more."
When the Sultan heard this， he said， "I will give thee more than this for her，" and calling his treasurer， said to him， "Give this merchant three hundred and twenty thousand dinars； so will he have a hundred and twenty thousand dinars profit." Then he summoned the four Cadis and paid him the money in their presence；
