"Do thou go before me." So she went on and I followed her a little way， till she came to the gate of a large handsome house，whose door was plated with copper. I stood without the door，whilst the old woman cried out in Persian， and before I could think， a damsel ran up， with a nimble and agile step. She had tucked up her trousers to her knees， so that I saw a pair of legs that confounded mind and eye， for they were like columns of alabaster， adorned with anklets of gold， set with jewels. As says the poet， describing her：
O thou who barest thy leg for lovers to look upon， That by the sight of the leg the rest they may infer，Who passest the cup around midst thy gallants， brisk and free，Nought seduces the folk but the cup[FN#136] and the cup-bearer.[FN#137]
She had seemingly been engaged in work of some kind， for she had tucked the end of her shift within the ribbon of her trousers and thrown the skirt of her robe over her arm. Her sleeves were rolled up to the elbows， so that I could see her white wrists and forearms， on which were two pairs of bracelets， with clasps of great pearls and round her neck was a collar of precious stones.
Her ears were adorned with pendants of pearls and on her head she wore a kerchief of brocade， embroidered with jewels of price.
When I saw her I was confounded at her beauty， for she was like the shining sun. Then she said， with clear and dulcet speech，never heard I sweeter， "O my mother， is this he who cometh to read the letter？" "It is，" replied the old woman； and she put out her hand to me with the letter. Now she was standing about half a rod within the door； so I stretched out my hand and put my head and shoulders within the door， thinking to draw near her and read the letter， when behold， before I knew what she would be at， the old woman thrust her head into my back and pushed me forward，with the letter in my hand， so that before I could think， I found myself in the vestibule. Then she entered， swiftlier than the blinding lightning， and had but to shut the door. When the damsel saw me in the vestibule， she came up to me and straining me to her bosom， threw me to the floor， then knelt upon my breast and kneaded my belly with her hands， till I lost my senses. Then she took me by the hand and led me unable to resist， for the violence of her pressure， through seven vestibules， whilst the old woman went before us with the lighted candle， till we came to a great saloon， with four daises， in which a horseman might play at ball.
Here she released me， saying， "Open thine eyes." So I opened them， still giddy for the excess of her pressing and pummelling，and saw that the whole place was built of the finest alabaster and hung and carpeted with stuffs of silk and brocade， with cushions and divans of the same. Therein also were two benches of brass and a couch of red gold set with pearls and jewels，befitting none save kings like unto thee. Then said she， "O Aziz，which wouldst thou rather， life or death？" "Life，" answered I；
and she said， "If life be liefer to thee， thou must marry me."
Quoth I， "It were odious to me to marry the like of thee." "If thou marry me，" rejoined she， "thou wilt at least be safe from the daughter of Delileh the crafty." "And who is she？" asked I.
She laughed and replied， "How comes it that thou knowest her not，seeing that to-day thou hast companied with her a year and four months， may God the Most High destroy her and afflict her with one worse than herself！ By Allah， there lives not a more perfidious than she！ How many hath she not slain before thee and what deeds hath she not done！ Nor can I understand how thou hast been so long in her company， yet hath she not killed thee nor done thee any hurt." When I heard this， I marvelled exceedingly and said， "Who made thee to know of her， O my lady？" "I know of her，" said she， "as the age knows of its calamities： but now I would fain have thee tell me all that has passed between you，that I may know the cause of thy deliverance from her." So I told her all that had happened， including the story of my cousin Azizeh. When she heard of the latter"s death， her eyes ran over with tears and she smote hand upon hand and cried out， "God have mercy on her， for she lost her youth in His service， and may He replace her to thee！ By Allah， O Aziz， it was she who was the cause of thy preservationfrom the daughter of Delileh and but for her， thou hadst been lost！ Now she is dead and I fear for thee from the other"s perfidy and mischief； but my heart is full and I cannot speak." "By Allah，" quoth I， "all this happened，even as thou sayest！" And she shook her head and said， "There lives not this day the like of Azizeh." "And when she was dying，"
