Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/68

and fear nothing, you may conſider it is a Debt you was to Pay; but that you are acquitted of it from this very Hour: I am glad that after my Shipwreck I came ſo fortunately hither, to defend you again all thoſe that would attempt your Death: I will not leave you till the 40 Days are expired, of which the fooliſh Aſtrologers have made you ſo apprehenſive; and in the mean while I will do you all the Service that that lies in my Power: After which I ſhall have the Benefit of getting to the main Land in your Veſſel, with leave of your Father and your ſelf; and when I am return’d into my Kingdom, I ſhall remember the Obligations I owe you, and endeavour to demonſtrate my Acknowledgments in a ſuitable manner.

This Diſcourſe of mine encouraged the Jeweller’s Son, and made him have Confidence in me. I took care not to tell him I was the very Agib whom he dreaded, leſt I ſhould put him into a Fright, and took as much care not to give him any cauſe to ſuſpect it. We paſſed the Time in ſeveral Diſcourſes till Night came on, I found the young Lad of a ready Wit, and eat with him of his Proviſions, of which he had enough to have laſted beyond the 40 Days, though he had had more Gueſts than my ſelf. After Supper we continued ſome time in Diſcourſe, at laſt we went to bed.

The next Day when we got up, I held the Baſon and Water to him, I alſo provided Dinner, and ſet it on the Table in due time: After we had done, I invented a Play to divert our ſelves, not only for that Day, but for thoſe that followed. I prepared Supper after the ſame manner as I had prepared Dinner; and having ſupp’d we went to bed as formerly. We had Time enough to contract Friendſhip: I found he loved me; and for my part, I had ſo great a Reſpect for him, that I have often ſaid to my ſelf, Thoſe Aſtrologers who predicted to his Father, that his Son ſhould die by my Hand, were Impoſtors; for it is not poſſible, that I could commit ſo baſe an Action. In ſhort, Madam, we ſpent 39 Days in the pleaſanteſt manner that could be, in a Place like that under Ground.

The 40th Day appear’d: And in the Morning when the young Man awaked, he ſays to me with a Tranſport of Joy that he could not reſtrain, Prince, this is the 40th Day, and I am not dead, Thanks to God and your good Compa-