'Hasten and bring me yonder handmaiden who is faring forth.' So they brought me back to him and raised the veil from my face, which when he saw, he knew me and questioned me of my case. I told him the whole truth, hiding naught, and when he heard my story, he pondered my case awhile, without stay or delay, and going into Shajarat al-Durr's chamber, said to her, 'How couldst thou prefer before me one of the sons of the merchants?' She kissed ground between his hands and told him her tale from first to last, in accordance with the truth; and he hearing it had compassion upon her and his heart relented to her and he excused her by reason of love and its circumstances. Then he went away and her eunuch came in to her and said, 'Be of good cheer; for, when thy lover was set before the Caliph, he questioned him and he told him that which thou toldest him, word by word.' Presently the Caliph returned and calling me before him, said to me, 'What made thee dare to violate the palace of the Caliphate?' I replied, 'O Commander of the Faithful, 'twas my ignorance and passion and my confidence in thy clemency and generosity that drave me to this.' And I wept and kissed the ground before him. Then said he, 'I pardon you both,' and bade me be seated. So I sat down and he sent for the Kazi Ahmad ibn Abi Duwбd[FN#367] and married me to her. Then he commanded to make over all that was hers to me and they displayed her to me[FN#368] in her lodging. After three days, I went forth and transported all her goods and gear to my own house; so every thing thou hast seen, O Commander of the Faithful, in my house and whereof thou misdoubtest, is of her marriage-equipage. After this, she said to me one day, 'Know that Al-Mutawakkil is a generous man and I fear lest he remember us with ill mind, or that some one of the envious remind him of us; wherefore I purpose to do somewhat that may ensure us against this.' Quoth I, 'And what is that?;' and quoth she, 'I mean to ask his leave to go the pilgrimage and repent[FN#369] of singing.' I replied, 'Right is this rede thou redest;' but, as we were talking, behold, in came a messenger from the Caliph to seek her, for that Al-Mutawakkil loved her singing. So she went with the officer and did her service to the Caliph, who said to her, 'Sever not thyself from us;'[FN#370] and she answered 'I hear and I obey.' Now it chanced one day, after this, she went to him, he having sent for her, as was his wont; but, before I knew, she came back, with her raiment rent and her eyes full of tears. At this I was alarmed, misdoubting me that he had commanded to seize upon us, and said, 'Verily we are Allah's and unto Him shall we return! Is Al-Mutawakkil wroth with us?' She replied, 'Where is Al-Mutawakkil? Indeed Al-Mutawakkil's rule is ended and his trace is blotted out!' Cried I, 'Tell me what has happened;' and she, 'He was seated behind the curtain, drinking, with Al-Fath bin Khбkбn[FN#371] and Sadakah bin