Sherkan
was confounded and called out to her, saying, "O my lady, wilt
thou go away and leave the wretched stranger, the broken-hearted
slave of love?" So she turned to him, laughing, and said, "What
wouldst thou? I grant thy prayer." "Have I set foot in thy
country and tasted the sweetness of thy favours," replied
Sherkan, "and shall I return without eating of thy victual
and tasting thy hospitality? Indeed I am become one of thy
servitors." Quoth she, "None but the base refuses hospitality; on
my head and eyes be it! Do me the favour to mount and ride along
the bank of the stream, abreast of me, for thou art my guest." At
this Sherkan rejoiced and hastening back to his horse, mounted
and rode along the river-bank, keeping abreast of her, till he
came to a drawbridge, that hung by pulleys and chains of steel,
made fast with hooks and padlocks. Here stood the ten damsels
awaiting the lady, who spoke to one of them in the Greek tongue
and said to her, "Go to him and take his horse's rein and bring
him over to the monastery." So she went up to Sherkan and led him
over the bridge to the other side and he followed her, amazed at
what he saw and saying in himself, "Would the Vizier Dendan were
with me, to look on these fair faces with his own eyes." Then he
turned to the young lady and said to her, "O wonder of beauty,
now art thou doubly bound to me, firstly, by the bond of
comradeship, and secondly for that thou carriest me to thy house
and I accept of thy hospitality and am at thy disposal and under
thy protection.
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