Now when the jeweller heard these lines and understood their significance, he wept also and told him all that had passed betwixt himself and the slave-girl and her mistress since he left him. And Ali bin Bakkar gave ear to his speech, and at every word he heard his colour shifted from white to red and his body grew now stronger and then weaker till the tale came to an end, when he wept and said, "O my brother, I am a lost man in any case: would mine end were nigh, that I might be at rest from all this! But I beg thee, of thy favour, to be my helper and comforter in all my affairs till Allah fulfil whatso be His will; and I will not gainsay thee with a single word." Quoth the jeweller, "Nothing will quench thy fire save union with her whom thou lovest; and the meeting must be in other than this perilous place. Better it were in a house of mine where the girl and her mistress met me; which place she chose for herself, to the intent that ye twain may there meet and complain each to other of what you have suffered from the pangs of love." Quoth Ali bin Bakkar, "O good Sir, do as thou wilt and with Allah be thy reward!; and what thou deemest is right do it forthright: but be not long in doing it, lest I perish of this anguish." "So I abode with him (said the jeweller) that night conversing with him till the morning morrowed,"—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say. When it was the One Hundred and Sixty-third Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the jeweller continued:—"So I abode with him that night conversing with him till the morning morrowed, when I prayed the dawn-prayers and, going out from him, returned to my house. Hardly had I settled down when the damsel came up and saluted me; and I returned her salutation and told her what had passed between myself and Ali bin Bakkar, and she said, 'Know that the Caliph hath left us and there is no one in our place and it is safer for us and better.' Replied I, 'Sooth thou sayest; yet is it not like my other house which is both fitter and surer for us;' and the slave-girl rejoined 'Be it as thou seest fit. I am now going to my lady and will tell her what thou sayest and acquaint her with all thou hast mentioned.' So she went away and sought her mistress and laid the project before her, and presently returned and said to me, 'It is to be as thou sayest: so make us ready the place and expect us.' Then she took out of her breast-pocket a purse of dinars and gave this message, 'My lady saluteth thee and saith to thee, 'Take this and provide therewith what the case requireth.' But I swore that I would accept naught of it; so she took the purse and returning to her mistress, told her, 'He would not receive the money, but gave it back to me.' 'No matter,' answered Shams al-Nahar. As soon as the slave-girl was gone" (continued the jeweller), "I arose and betook myself to my other house