“Madam,” replied the porter, “I promise to observe the conditions with so much exactitude, that you shall have no reason to reproach me with having infringed them, and even still less to punish my indiscretion. My tongue shall be motionless; and my eyes shall be like a mirror, that preserves no part of the objects it receives.”--“To let you see,” said Zobeidè, with a serious air, “that what we require of you is not newly established among us, observe what is written over the door, on the inside.” The porter went and read these words, which were written in large letters of gold, whoever talks about what DOES NOT CONCERN HIM, OFTEN HEARS WHAT DOES not please him! He came back directly, and said to the three sisters, “I swear to you, ladies, that you shall not hear me speak a word concerning any thing which does not regard me, and in which you have any interest.” This being settled, Aminè brought supper; and when she had lighted up the hall with numerous candles prepared with aloes and ambergris, which scattered a very agreeable perfume, and cast a brilliant light, she seated herself at the table with her sisters and the porter. They began to eat, drink, sing, and recite verses. The females took pleasure in making the porter intoxicated, under the pretence of making him drink to their health. Wit and repartee were not wanting. They were at length all in the best humour, when they heard a knocking at the gate. They instantly got up, and all run to open it; but Safiè, to whom this office more particularly belonged, was the most active. The other two, seeing her before them, stopped, and waited till she came back to inform them who could have any business with them at so late an hour. Safiè soon returned. “A charming opportunity, my sisters, offers itself to spend great part of the night very pleasantly, and if you are of the same opinion as I am, we will not let it escape us. There are three calenders at the door; at least they appear so by their dress; but what will doubtless surprise you is, that they are all three blind of the right eye, and have their heads, beards, and eyebrows shaved. They say, they are only just arrived at Bagdad, where they have never been before, and as it is dark, and they knew not where to lodge, they knocked at our door by chance; and entreat us for the love of God, to have the charity to take them in. They care not where we put them, provided they are under cover; and will be satisfied even with a stable. They are young and well-made and appear to possess some spirit, but I cannot without laughing, think of their amusing and uniform figures. Safiè could not indeed refrain from laughing most heartily at this moment, nor could either her sisters or the porter do otherwise than join in it. “Shall we,” said she, “let them come in? It is impossible but that with such men as I have described, we shall finish the day still better than we begun it. They will divert us very much, and they will be no expense to us,