Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/37

this means you’ll get inſtead of loſing, and the Merchants will get by you. And in the mean time you’ll have Time to take your Pleaſure, and walk up and down the Town, or to go upon the Nile.

I took their Advice, and carried ’em to my Warehouſe, from whence I brought all my Goods to the Bezeſtein, and there divided them among the Merchants that they repreſented as moſt reputable and able to pay; and the Merchants gave me a formal Receipt before Witneſſes, ſtipulating withal that I ſhould not make any Demands upon them for the firſt Month.

Having thus regulated my Affairs, my Mind was taken up with other ſort of Things than the ordinary Pleaſures, I contracted Friendſhip with divers Perſons almoſt of the ſame Age with my ſelf, who took care I did not want Company. After the firſt Month expired, I began to viſit my Merchants twice a Week, taking along with me a publick Officer to inſpect their Books of Sale, and a Banker to ſee they paid me in good Money, and to regulate the Value of the ſeveral Species; and ſo every Pay Day I had a good Sum of money to carry home to my Lodging. I went nevertheleſs on the other Days to paſs the morning ſometimes at a merchant’s Houſe, and ſometimes at fome other Perions. In fine, I diverted my ſelf in converting with one or the other, and ſeeing what paſſed in the Bezeſtein.

One Monday, as I ſat in a Merchant’s Shop, whoſe Name was Bedreddin, a Lady of Quality, as one might eaſily perceive by her Air, her Habit, and her being attendied by a She-ſlave in neat Cloaths; this Lady, I ſay, came into the Shop, and ſat down by me. This external Appearance joined to a natural Grace that ſhined through all ſhe did, inſpired me with, a longing Deſire to know her better than I did. I am at a loſs to know whether ſhe obſerved that I took Pleaſure in gazing upon her; but ſhe tucked up the Crape that hung down over the Muſlin which covered her Face, and ſo gave me the Opportunity of ſeeing her large black Eyes, which perfectly charmed me. In fine, ſhe ſcrew’d my Love to the Height, by the agreeable ſound of her Voice, and her genteel graceful Carriage, in ſaluting the Merchant, and asking him how he did ſince ſhe aw him laſt.