Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/78
Other Ladies cover’d a Table with dry Fruits, Sweetmeats, and every thing proper to make the Liquor reliſh: And a Side-board was ſet with ſeveral ſorts of Wines, and other Liquors. Some of the Ladies came in with muſical Inſtruments, and when every thing was prepared, they invited me to fit down to Supper. The Ladies ſat down with me, and we continued a long while at Supper. They that were to play upon the Inſtruments, and ſing, roſe up and made a moſt charming Conſort. The others began a ſort of Ball, and danc’d by two and two, one after another, with a wonderful good Grace.
It was paſt Midnight ere thoſe Divertiſements ended: At length one of the Ladies ſays to me, You are doubtleſs wearied by the Journey you have made to-day; It is time for you to go to reſt, your Lodging is prepared: But before you depart, make choice of any of us you like beſt, to be your Bedfellow. I anſwer’d, that I knew better things than to offer to make my own Choice, ſince they were all equally beautiful, witty and worthy of my Reſpects and Service, and that I would not be guilty of ſo much Incivility, as to prefer one before another.
The ſame Lady that ſpoke to me before anſwer’d, We are very well ſatisfied of your Civility, and find you are afraid to create a Jealouſy among us, which occaſions your Modeſty; but let not this hinder you. We aſſure you, that the good Fortune of her whom you chuſe, ſhall cauſe no Jealouſy; for we are agreed among our ſelves, that every Day one of us ſhall have the ſame Honour, till it go round; and when forty Days are paſt, to begin again; therefor: make your free Choice, and loſe no Time to go and take the Repoſe you ſtand in need of. I was oblig’d to yield to their Inſtances, and offer’d my Hand to the Lady that ſpoke, ſhe, in return, gave me hers, and we were conducted to a ſumptuous Apartment, where they left us; and then every one retir’d to their own Apartment. But Day appears, Sir, ſaid Scheherazade to the Sultan, and your Majeſty, I hope, will permit me to leave the Callender Prince with his Lady. Schahriar return’d no Anſwer: but ſaid to himſelf, as he got up, I muſt allow that the Story is extraordinary fine, and that I ſhould be very much in the wrong not to hear it out.