"I fly the carper's injury,* Whose carping sorely vexeth me: He chides and taunts me, wotting not * He burns me but more grievously. The blamer cries 'He is consoled!' * I say, 'My own dear land[FN#314] to see:' They ask, 'Why be that land so dear?' * I say, 'It taught me in love to be:' They ask, 'What raised its dignity?' * I say, 'What made my ignomy:' Whate'er the bitter cup I drain, * Far be fro' me that land to flee: Nor will I bow to those who blame, * And for such love would deal me shame. Hardly had he made an end of his verses and come to a conclusion, when the Eunuch (who had heard him from his hiding place at his head) came up to him; whereupon the Fireman flea end stood afar off to see what passed between them. Then said the Eunuch to Zau al-Makan, "Peace be with thee, O my lord!" "And on thee be peace," replied Zau al-Makan, "and the mercy of Allah and His blessings!" "O my lord," continued the Eunuch—-And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say, When it was the Seventy-fourth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Eunuch said to Zau al-Makan, "O my lord, I have sought thee these several times this night, for my mistress biddeth thee to her." Quoth Zau al- Makan, "And who be this bitch that seeketh for me? Allah curse her and curse her husband with her!"[FN#315] And he began to revile the Eunuch, who could make him no answer, because his mistress had charged him to do Zau al-Makan no hurt, nor bring him save of his own especial free will; and, if he would not accompany him, to give him the thousand dinars. So the Castrato began to speak him fair and say to him, "O my lord, take this purse and go with me. We will do thee no upright, O my son, nor wrong thee in aught; but our object is that thou bend thy gracious steps with me to my mistress, to receive her answer and return in weal and safety: and thou shalt have a handsome present as one who bringeth good news." When Zau al- Makan heard this, he arose and went with the Eunuch and walked among the sleeping folk, stepping over them; whilst the Fireman followed after them from afar, and kept his eye upon him and said to himself, "Alas the pity of his youth! To-morrow they will hang him." And he ceased not following them till he approached their station,[FN#316] without any observing him. Then he stood still and said, "How base it will be of him, if he say it was I who bade him recite the verses!" This was the case of the Stoker; but as regards what befel Zau al-Makan, he ceased not walking with the Eunuch till he reached his station and the Castrato went in to Nuzhat al-Zaman and said, "O my lady, I have brought thee him whom thou soughtest, and he is a youth, fair of face and bearing the marks of wealth and gentle breeding." When she heard this, her heart fluttered and she cried, "Let him recite some verses, that I may hear him near hand, and after ask him his name and his condition and his native land."