The damsel said to the boatman，Make haste with them.'So he plied his oars swiftly till they reached the opposite bank，where they landed，and she took lease of them，saying，It were my wish not to leave you，but I can go no farther than this.'Then she turned back，whilst Ali ben Bekkar lay on the ground before Aboulhusn and could not rise，till the latter said to him，This place is not sure and I am in fear of our lives，by reason of the thieves and highwaymen and men of lawlessness.'With this Ali arose and essayed to walk a little，but could not. Now Aboulhusn had friends in that quarter，so he made for the house of one of them，in whom he trusted and who was of his intimates，and knocked at the door. The man came out quickly and seeing them，bade them welcome and brought them into his house，where he made them sit down and talked with them and asked them whence they came. Quoth Aboulhusn We came out but now，being moved thereto by a man with whom I had dealings and who hath in his hands monies of mine. It was told me that he was minded to flee into foreign countries with my money；so I came out to-night in quest of him，taking with me this my friend Ali ben Bekkar for company but he hid from us and we could get no speech of him So we turned back，empty-handed，and knew not whither to go，for it were irksome to us to return home at this hour of the night；wherefore we came to thee，knowing thy wonted courtesy and kindness.'Ye are right welcome，'answered the host，and studied to do them honour. They abode with him the rest of the night，and as soon as it was day，they left him and made their way back to the city.
When they came to Aboulhusns house，the latter conjured his friend to enter；so they went in and lying down on the bed，slept awhile. When they awoke，Aboulhusn bade his servants spread the house with rich carpets saying in himself，Needs must I divert this youth and distract him from thoughts of his affliction，for I know his case better than another.'Then he called for water for Ali ben Bekkar，and the latter rose and making his ablutions，prayed the obligatory prayers that he had omitted for the past day and night；after which he sat down and began to solace himself with talk with his friend. When Aboulhusn saw this，he turned to him and said，O my lord，it were better for thy case that thou abide with me this night，so thy heart may be lightened and the anguish of love-longing that is upon thee be dispelled and thou make merry with us and haply the fire of thy heart be allayed.'O my brother，'answered Ali，do what seemeth good to thee；for I may not anywise escape from what hath befallen me.'
Accordingly，Aboulhusn arose and bade his servants summon some of the choicest of his friends and sent for singers and musicians.
Meanwhile he made ready meat and drink for them，and they came and sat eating and drinking and making merry till nightfall Then they lit the candles，and the cups of friendship and good fellowship went round amongst them，and the time passed pleasantly with them. Presently，a singing-woman took the lute and sang the following verses：
Fate launched at me a dart，the arrow of an eye；It pierced me and cut off from those I love am I.
Fortune hath mauled me sore and patience fails me now；But long have I forebode misfortune drawing nigh.
When Ali ben Bekkar heard this，he fell to the earth in a swoon and abode thus till daybreak，and Aboulhusn despaired of him.
But，with the dawning，he came to himself and sought to go home；
nor could Aboulhusn deny him，for fear of the issue of his affair. So he made his servants bring a mule and mounting Ali thereon，carried him to his lodging，he and one of his men. When he was safe at home，the merchant thanked God for his deliverance from that peril and sat awhile with him，comforting him；but Ali could not contain himself，for the violence of his passion and love-longing. Presently Aboulhusn rose to take leave of him and Ali said，O my brother，leave me not without news.'I hear and obey，answered Aboulhusn，and repairing to his shop，opened it and sat there all day，expecting news of Shemsennehar；but none came. He passed the night in his own house and when it was day，he went to Ali ben Bekkars lodging and found him laid on his bed，with his friends about him and physicians feeling his pulse and prescribing this or that. When he saw Aboulhusn，he smiled，and the latter saluting him，enquired how he did and sat with him till the folk withdrew，when he said to him，What plight is this？Quoth Ali，It was noised abroad that I was ill and I have no strength to rise and walk，so as to give the lie to the report of my sickness，but continue lying here as thou seest. So my friends heard of me and came to visit me. But，O my brother，hast thou seen the damsel or heard any news of her？I have not seen her，'answered Aboulhusn，since we parted from her on the Tigris bank；but，O my brother，beware of scandal and leave this weeping.'O my brother，'rejoined Ali，indeed，I have no control over myself ；and he sighed and recited the following verses：
She giveth unto her hand that whereof mine doth fail，A dye on the wrist，wherewith she doth my patience assail She standeth in fear for her hand of the arrows she shoots from her eyes；So，for protection，shes fain to clothe it in armour of mail.[10]
The doctor in ignorance felt my pulse，and I said to him，'Leave thou my hand alone；my heart it is that doth ail.'
Quoth she to the dream of the night，that visited me and fled，'By Allah，describe him to me and bate me no jot of the tale！'
It answered，'I put him away，though he perish of thirst，and said，Stand off from the watering-place！'So he could not to drink avail.'
She poured forth the pearls of her tears from her eyes narcissus and gave The rose of her cheeks to drink and bit upon jujubes[11] with hail.[12]
