The mendicants, when they witnessed this scene, said, Would that we had never entered this house, but rather had passed the night upon the mounds;[III_40] for our night hath been rendered foul by an event that breaketh the back! The Khaleefeh, looking towards them, then said, Wherefore is it so with you? They answered, Our hearts are troubled by this occurrence.--Are ye not, he asked, of this house?--No, they answered; nor did we imagine that this house belonged to any but the man who is sitting with you:--upon which the porter said, Verily, I have never seen this place before this night; and I would that I had passed the night upon the mounds rather than here. They then observed, one to another, We are seven men, and they are but three women; we will, therefore, ask them of their history; and if they answer us not willingly they shall do it in spite of themselves:--and they all agreed to this, excepting Jaạfar, who said, This is not a right determination; leave them to themselves, for we are their guests, and they made a covenant with us which we should fulfil: there remaineth but little of the night, and each of us shall soon go his way. Then, winking to the Khaleefeh, he said, There remaineth but an hour; and to-morrow we will bring them before thee, and thou shalt ask them their story. But the Khaleefeh refused to do so, and said, I have not patience to wait so long for their history.--Words followed words, and at last they said, Who shall put the question to them?--and one answered, The porter. [Illustration]