So he mounted and mounted her；and the two fared on till they were in the midst of the Iraki[231]pilgrim-party，and they ceased not marching and Allah wrote safety for them，till they entered Meccah the Holy and stood upon Arafat and performed the pilgrimage rites.Then they made a visitation to the tomb of the Prophet （whom Allah bless and assain！） and thought to return with the pilgrims to their native land.But Zau al-Makan said to his sister，'O my sister，it is in my mind to visit the Holy House，[232] Jerusalem，and Abraham the Friend of Allah[233] （on whom be peace！）.''I also desire so to do，'replied she.So they agreed upon this and he fared forth and took passage for himself and her and they made ready and set out in the ship with a company of Jerusalem palmers.That very night the sister fell sick of an aguish chill，and was grievously ill but presently recovered，after which the brother also sickened.She tended him during his malady and they ceased not wayfaring till they arrived at Jerusalem，but the fever increased on him and he grew weaker and weaker.They alighted at a Khan and there hired a lodging；but Zau al- Makan's sickness ceased not to increase on him，till he was wasted with leanness and became delirious.At this，his sister was greatly afflicted and exclaimed，'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah，the Glorious，the Great！
This is the decree of Allah！'They sojourned in that place awhile，his weakness ever increasing and she attending him and buying necessaries for him and for herself，till all the money she had was expended and she became so poor that she had not so much as a dirham left.Then she sent a servant of the Khan to the bazar with some of her clothes，and he sold them and she spent the price upon her brother；then sold she something more and she ceased not selling all she had，piece by piece，till nothing was left but an old rug.Whereupon she wept and exclaimed，'Verily is Allah the Orderer of the past and the future！'Presently her brother said to her，'O my sister，I feel recovery drawing near and my heart longeth for a little roast meat.''By Allah！O my brother，'replied she，'I have no face to beg；but tomorrow I will enter some rich man's house and serve him and earn somewhat for our living.'Then she bethought herself awhile and said，'Of a truth 'tis hard for me to leave thee and thou in this state，but I must despite myself！'He rejoined，'Allah forbid！Thou wilt be put to shame；but there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah！'And he wept and she wept too.Then she said，'O my brother，we are strangers who have dwelt here a full year，but none hath yet knocked at our door.Shall we then die of hunger？I know no resource but that I go out and do service and earn somewhat to keep us alive，till thou recover from thy sickness，when we will travel back to our native land.'She sat weeping awhile and he wept too，propped upon his elbow.Then Nuzhat al-Zaman arose and，veiling her head with a bit of camlet，[234] which had been of the cameleer's clothes and which the owner had forgotten and left with them；she kissed the head of her brother and embraced him and went forth from him，weeping and knowing not whither she should wend.And she stinted not going and her brother Zau al-Makan awaiting her return till the supper time；but she came not，and he watched for her till the morning morrowed but still she returned not；and this endured till two days went by.He was greatly troubled thereat and his heart fluttered for her，and hunger was sore upon him.At last he left the chamber and，calling the servant of the caravanserai，said，'I wish thee to bear me to the bazar.'So he carried him to the market street and laid him down there；and the people of Jerusalem gathered round him and were moved to tears seeing his condition.He signed to them begging for somewhat to eat；so they brought him some money from certain of the merchants who were in the bazar，and bought food and fed him therewith；after which they carried him to a shop，where they spread him a mat of palm leaves and set an ewer of water at his head.When night fell，all the folk went away，sore concerned for him and，in the middle of the night，he called to mind his sister and his sickness redoubled on him，so that he abstained from eating and drinking and became insensible to the world around him.Then the bazar people arose and took for him from the merchants thirty seven dirhams，and hiring a camel，said to the driver，'Carry this sick man to Damascus and leave him in the hospital；haply he may be cured and recover health.''On my head be it！'replied the camel man；but he said to himself，'How shall I take this sick man to Damascus，and he nigh upon death？'So he carried him away to a place and hid with him till the night，when he threw him down on the ash heap near the fire hole of a Hammam and went his way.When morning dawned the Stoker[235] of the bath came to his work and，finding Zau al-Makan cast on his back，exclaimed，'Why did they not throw their dead body anywhere but here？'So saying，he gave him a kick and he moved；whereupon quoth the Fireman，'Some one of you who hath eaten a bit of Hashish and hath thrown himself down in whatso place it be！'Then he looked at his face and saw his hairless cheeks and his grace and comeliness；so he took pity on him and knew that he was sick and a stranger in the land.And he cried，'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah！verily，I have sinned against this youth，for indeed the Prophet （whom Allah bless and keep！）
