She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young man continued, "I returned to my place in the ship; and presently the whole party came on board again and the moon shone bright upon river and height. Then said the Hashimi to the damsel, 'Allah upon thee, trouble not our joyous lives!' So she took the lute, and touching it with her hand, gave a sob, that they thought her soul had fled her frame, and said, 'By Allah, my master and teacher is with us in this ship!' Answered the Hashimi, 'By Allah, were this so, I would not forbid him our conversation! Haply he would lighten thy burthen, so we might enjoy thy singing: but his being on board is far from possible.' However she said, 'I cannot smite lute-string or sing sundry airs I was wont to sing whilst my lord is with us.' Quoth the Hashimi, 'Let us ask the sailors;' and quoth she, 'Do so.' He questioned them, saying, 'Have ye carried anyone with you!'; and they answered, 'No.' Then I feared lest the enquiry should end there; so I laughed and said, 'Yes; I am her master and taught her whenas I was her lord.' Cried she, 'By Allah, that is my lord's voice!' Thereupon the pages carried me to the Hashimi, who knew me at first sight and said to me, 'Out on thee! What plight is this in which I see thee and what hath brought thee to such condition?' I related to him all that had befallen me of my affair, weeping the while, and the damsel made loud wail from behind the curtain. The Hashimi wept with sore weeping, he and his brethren, for pity of me, and he said, 'By Allah, I have not drawn near this damsel nor enjoyed her, nor have I even heard her sing till this day! I am a man to whom Allah hath been ample and I came to Baghdad but to hear singing and seek my allowances of the Commander of the Faithful. I accomplished both my needments and being about to return home, said to myself, 'Let us hear some what of the singing of Baghdad.' Wherefore I bought this damsel, knowing not that such was the case with you twain; and I take Allah to witness that, when I reach Bassorah I will free her and marry her to thee and assign you what shall suffice you, and more; but on condition that, whenever I have a mind to hear music, a curtain shall be hung for her and she shall sing to me from behind it, and thou shalt be of the number of my brethren and boon-companions.' Hereat I rejoiced and the Hashimi put his head within the curtain and said to her, 'Will that content thee?'; whereupon she fell to blessing and thanking him. Then he called a servant and said to him, 'Take this young man and do off his clothes and robe him in costly raiment and incense[FN#49] him and bring him back to us.' So the servant did with me as his master bade him and brought me back to him, and served me with wine, even as the rest of the company. Then the damsel began singing after the goodliest fashion and chanted these couplets,