第40章

Answered Hasan，'O mistress of Kings and asylum of all princes and paupers，when I looked upon thee，I was distracted，seeing thee to be either my wife or the likest of all folk to her；but now ask me whatso thou wilt.'

Quoth she，'What is it in thy wife that resembleth me？'；and quoth he，'O my lady，all that is in thee of beauty and loveliness，elegance and amorous grace，such as the symmetry of thy shape and the sweetness of thy speech and the blushing of thy cheeks and the jutting of thy breasts and so forth，all resembleth her and thou art her very self in thy faculty of parlance and the fairness of thy favour and the brilliancy of thy brow.'[146] When the Queen heard this，she smiled and gloried in her beauty and loveliness and her cheeks reddened and her eyes wantoned；then she turned to Shawahi Umm Dawahi and said to her；'O my mother，carry him back to the place where he tarried with thee and tend him thyself，till I examine into his affair；for；an he be indeed a man of manliness and mindful of friendship and love and affection，it behoveth we help him to win his wish，more by token that he hath sojourned in our country and eaten of our victual，not to speak of the hardships of travel he hath suffered and the travail and horrors he hath undergone.But，when thou hast brought him to thy house，commend him to the care of thy dependents and return to me in all haste；and Allah Almighty willing！[147] all shall be well.'Thereupon Shawahi carried him back to her lodging and charged her handmaids and servants and suite wait upon him and bring him all he needed nor fail in what was his due.Then she returned to Queen Nur al-Huda，who bade her don her arms and set out，taking with her a thousand doughty horsemen.So she obeyed and donned her war-gear and having collected the thousand riders reported them ready to the Queen，who bade her march upon the city of the Supreme King，her father，there to alight at the abode of her youngest sister；Man r al-San [148] and say to her，'Clothe thy two sons in the coats of mail which their aunt hath made them and send them to her；for she longeth for them.'Moreover the Queen charged her keep Hasan's affair secret and say to Manar al-Sana，after securing her children，'Thy sister inviteth thee to visit her.'

'Then，'she continued，'bring the children to me in haste and let her follow at her leisure.Do thou come by a road other than her road and journey night and day and beware of discovering this matter to any.And I swear by all manner oaths that，if my sister prove to be his wife and it appear that her children are his，I will not hinder him from taking her and them and departing with them to his own country.'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Twelfth Night； She resumed，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the Oueen said，'I swear by Allah and by all manner of oaths that if she prove to be his wife，I will not hinder him from taking her but will aid him thereto and eke to departing with them to his mother-land.'And the old woman put faith in her words，knowing not what she purposed in her mind，for the wicked Jezebel had resolved that if she were not his wife she would slay him；but if the children resembled him，she would believe him.The Queen resumed，'O my mother，an my thought tell me true，my sister Manar al-Sana is his wife，but Allah alone is All-knowing！ seeing that these traits of surpassing beauty and excelling grace，of which he spoke，are found in none except my sisters and especially in the youngest.'The old woman kissed her hand and returning to Hasan，told him what the Queen had said，whereat he was like to fly for joy and coming up to her，kissed her head.

Quoth she，'O my son，kiss not my head，but kiss me on the mouth and be this kiss by way of sweetmeat for thy salvation.[149]

Be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear and grudge not to kiss my mouth，for I and only I was the means of thy foregathering with her.So take comfort，and hearten thy heart and broaden thy breast and gladden thy glance and console thy soul for，Allah willing，thy desire shall be accomplished at my hand.'So saying，she bade him farewell and departed，whilst he recited these two couplets；'Witnesses unto love of thee I've four；* And wants each case two witnesses；no more！

A heart aye fluttering，limbs that ever quake，* A wasted frame and tongue that speech forswore.'

And also these two；'Two things there be，an blood-tears thereover * Wept eyes till not one trace thou couldst discover；Eyes ne'er could pay the tithe to them is due * The prime of youth and severance from lover.'

Then the old woman armed herself and，taking with her a thousand weaponed horsemen，set out and journeyed till she came to the island and the city where dwelt the Lady Manar al-Sana and between which and that of her sister Queen Nur al-Huda was three days' journey.When Shawahi reached the city，she went in to the Princess and saluting her，gave her her sister's salam and acquainted her with the Queen's longing for her and her children and that she reproached her for not visiting her.Quoth Manar al-Sana，'Verily，I am beholden to my sister and have failed of my duty to her in not visiting her，but I will do so forthright.'

Then she bade pitch her tents without the city and took with her for her sister a suitable present of rare things.Presently，the King her father looked out of a window of his palace，and seeing the tents pitched by the road，asked of them，and they answered him，'The Princess Manar al-Sana hath pitched her tents by the way-side，being minded to visit her sister Queen Nur al-Huda.'