Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/20

to have left them on his wedding-Night. My God! ſaid he, rubbing his Eyes, am I aſleep, or awake?

The beautiful Lady, who in the mean time was diverting her ſelf with his Aſtoniſhment, opened the Curtains of her Bed, all on a ſudden, and bending her Head forward, My dear Lord, ſaid ſhe, with a ſoft and tender Air, what do you do at the Door? Prithee come to Bed again! You have been out of bed along time. I was ſtrangely ſurprized when I awaked, in not finding you by me. Bedreddin Haſſan’s Countenance changed, when he perceived that the Lady who ſpoke to him, was the charming Perſon that he had lain with before; ſo he entered the Room, but calling up the Thoughts of all that had paſſed tor a Ten Years Interval, and not being able to perſwade himſelf that it could all have happened in the Compaſs of one Night, he went to the Place where his Cloaths lay, and the Purſe of Sequins, and after examining them very carefully, By the Living God, cried he, theſe are Things that I can by no means comprehend! The Lady, who was pleaſed to fee his Confuſion, ſaid, Once more my Lord, come to Bed again, what do you ſtand at? Then he ſtepped towards the Bed, and ſaid to her, Pray Madam tell me is it long ſince I left you? The Queſtion, anſwered ſhe, ſurprizes me! Did not you riſe from me but now? Sure your Thoughts are very buſy. “Madam, (replied Bedreddin) I do affure you my Thoughts are not very eaſy. I remember indeed to have been with you, but I remember at the ſame time that I have lived ſince Ten Years at Damaſcus. Now if I was actually in Bed with you this Night, I cannot have been from you ſo long. Theſe two Things are inconfitent. Pray tell me what to think; whether my Marriage with you is an Illuſion, or whether my Abſence from you is only a Dream.” ”Yes, my Lord, (cried ſhe) doubtleſs you were light-headed when you thought you wereat Damaſcus.” Upon this Bedreddin laughed out heartily, and ſaid, “What a comical Fancy is this; I aflure you, Madam, this Dream of mine will be very pleaſant to you. Do but imagine, if you pleaſe, that I was at the Gate of Damaſcus in my Shirt and Drawers, as I am here now; that I entred the Town with the Hallow of a Mob that follow’d and inſulted me; that I fled to a Paſtry Cook’s, who adopted me, taught me his Trade,