Therewith she knew him for a lover who had lost his mistress and said'There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High，the Supreme！ O my sonI would have thee acquaint me with the particulars of thine affliction. Peradventure God may enable me to help thee against itif it so please Him.'So he told her all that had happened and she said'O my sonindeed thou hast excuse.'And her eyes ran over with tears and she repeated the following verses：
Tormentindeedin this our worldtrue lovers do aby；Hell shall not torture themby Godwhenas they come to die！
Of love they died and to the past their passions chastely hid；So are they martyrsasindeedtraditions testify.
Then she said'O my songo now and buy me a basketsuch as the jewel-hawkers carryand stock it with rings and bracelets and ear-rings and other women's gearand spare not money. Bring all this to me and I will set it on my head and go round aboutin the guise of a huckstressand make search for her in all the housestill I light on news of herif it be the will of God the Most High.'Ali rejoiced in her words and kissed her handsthen，going outspeedily returned with all she required；whereupon she rose and donning a patched gown and a yellow veiltook a staff in her hand and set outwith the basket on her head.
She ceased not to go from quarter to quarter and street to street and house to housetill God the Most High led her to the house of the accursed Reshideddin the Nazarene. She heard groans within and knocked at the doorwhereupon a slave-girl came down and opening the door to hersaluted her. Quoth the old woman'I have these trifles for sale： is there any one with you who will buy aught of them？'Yes，'answered the girl and carrying her indoorsmade her sit down；whereupon all the women came round her and each bought something of her. She spoke to them fair and was easy with them as to priceso that they rejoiced in her，because of her pleasant speech and easiness. Meanwhileshe looked about to see who it was she had heard groaningtill her eyes fell on Zumurrudwhen she knew her and saw that she was laid prostrate. So she wept and said to the girls'O my childrenhow comes yonder damsel in this plight？'And they told her what had passedadding'Indeedthe thing is not of our choice；but our master commanded us to do thisand he is now absent on a journey.'O my children，'said the old woman'I have a request to make of youand it is that you loose this unhappy woman of her bondstill you know of your lord's return，when do ye bind her again as she was；and you shall earn a reward from the Lord of all creatures.'We hear and obey，'answered they and loosing Zumurrudgave her to eat and drink.
Then said the old woman'Would my leg had been brokenere I entered your house！'And she went up to Zumurrud and said to her，'O my daughtertake heart；God will surely bring thee relief.'
Then she told her [privily] that she came from her lord Ali Shar and appointed her to be on the watch that nightsaying'Thy lord will come to the bench under the gallery and whistle to thee；and when thou hearest himdo thou whistle back to him and let thyself down to him by a rope from the windowand he will take thee and go away.'Zumurrud thanked the old womanand the latter returned to Ali Shar and told him what she had done，saying'Go to-nightat midnightto such a quarter，--for the accursed fellow's house is there and its fashion is thus and thus. Stand under the window of the upper chamber and whistle；whereupon she will let herself down to thee；then do thou take her and carry her whither thou wilt.'He thanked her for her good offices and repeated the following verseswith the tears running down his cheeks：
Let censors cease to rail and chide and leave their idle prate：
My body's wasted and my heart weary and desolate；And from desertion and distress my tearsby many a chain Of true traditions handed downdo trace their lineage straight.
Thou that art whole of heart and free from that which I endure Of grief and carecut short thy strife nor question of my state.
A sweet-lipped maidensoft of sides and moulded well of shape，With her soft speech my heart hath ta'enayand her graceful gait.
My heartsince thou art goneno rest knows nor my eyes do sleepNor can the hunger of my hopes itself with patience sate.
Yeathou hast left me sorrowfulthe hostage of desire'Twixt enviers and haters dazed and all disconsolate.
As for forgetting'tis a thing I know not nor will know；For none but thou into my thought shalt entersoon or late.
Then he sighed and shed tears and repeated these also：
May God be good to him who brought me news that ye were come！ For never more delightful news unto my ears was borne.
If he would take a worn-out wede for boonI'd proffer him A heart that at the parting hour was all in pieces torn.
He waited until the appointed timethen went to the street，where was the Christian's houseand recognizing it from the old woman's deionsat down on the bench under the gallery.
Presentlydrowsiness overcame himfor it was long since he had sleptfor the violence of his passionand he became as one drunken with sleep. Glory be to Him who sleepeth not！
Meanwhilechance led thither a certain thiefwho had come out that night to steal somewhat and prowled about the skirts of the citytill he happened on Reshideddin's house. He went round about itbut found no way of climbing up into it and presently came to the benchwhere he found Ali Shar asleep and took his turban. At that momentZumurrud looked out and seeing the thief standing in the darknesstook him for her lord；so she whistled to him and he whistled back to her；whereupon she let herself down to himwith a pair of saddle-bags full of gold. When the robber saw thishe said to himself'This is a strange thing，and there must needs be some extraordinary cause to it.'Then，snatching up the saddle-bagshe took Zumurrud on his shoulders and made off with both like the blinding lightning.
