The next day Haroun Alraschid ordered the grand vizier to cause proclamation to be made throughout all his dominions, that he pardoned the son of Abou Ayoub; but this proved of no effect, for a long time elapsed without any news of that young merchant. Fetnah concluded for certain, that he had not been able to survive the pain of losing her. A dreadful uneasiness seized her; but as hope is the last thing which forsakes lovers, she entreated the caliph to give her leave to seek for Ganem herself; which being granted, she took a purse with a thousand pieces of gold out of her basket, and one morning went out of the palace, mounted on a mule she had out of the caliph’s stables, very richly accoutred. Black eunuchs attended her, with their hands on each side upon the mule’s buttocks. Thus she went from mosque to mosque, bestowing her alms among the devotees of the Mahometan religion, desiring their prayers for obtaining the accomplishment of an affair on which the happiness of two persons, as she told them, depended. She spent the whole day and the thousand pieces of gold, in giving alms at the mosques, and returned to the palace in the evening. The next day she took another purse of the same value, and, in the like equipage as the day before, went to the place where all the jewellers’ shops were; and stopping at the door without alighting, sent one of her black eunuchs for the syndic, or chief of them. That syndic, who was an extraordinary charitable man, and spent above two-thirds of his income in relieving poor strangers, whether they happened to be sick or in distress, made not Fetnah stay, knowing by her dress that she was a lady belonging to the palace. I apply myself to you, said she, putting the purse into his hands, as a person whose piety is cried up throughout the city. I desire you to distribute that gold among the poor strangers you relieve, for I know you make it your business to assist poor strangers who have recourse to your charity. I am also satisfied that you prevent their wants, and that nothing is more agreeable to you than to have an opportunity of easing their misery. Madam, answered the syndic, I shall obey your commands with pleasure; but if you desire to exercise your charity in person, and will be pleased to step to my house, you will there see two women worthy of your compassion: I met them yesterday as they were coming into the city; they were in a deplorable condition, and it moved me the more, because I thought they were persons of some quality. Through all the rags that covered them, and notwithstanding the impression the sun has made on their faces, I discovered a noble air, not to be commonly found in those poor people I relieve. I carried them both to my house, and delivered them to my wife, who was of the same opinion with me. She caused her slaves to provide them good beds, whilst she herself washed their faces, and gave them clean linen. We know not as yet