Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/6

and look after it. However, this Anſwer did not at all appeaſe the Eunuch, who, turning to Agib, ſaid, This is all along of you, I foreſaw I ſhould repent of my Complaiſance; you would needs go into the Man’s Shop; it was not wiſely done in me to give you leave. Perhaps, replied Agib, he has real Buſineſs out of Town; and the Road is free to every Body. While this paſſed, they kept walking together, without looking behind them, till they came near the Vizier’s Tents, upon which they turned about to ſee if Bedreddin followed them. Agib, perceiving he was within two Paces of him, reddened and whitened alternately, according to the divers Motions that affected him. He was afraid the Grand Vizier, his Grand-father, ſhould come to know he had been in the Paſtry-Shop, and had eat there. In this dread, he took up a pretty big Stone that lay at his Foot, and, throwing it at Bedreddin Haſſan, hit him in the Forehead, which gave him ſuch a Wound that his Face was covered with Blood. Then he took up his Heels and run under the Eunuch’s Tents. The Eunuch gave Bedreddin to underſtand, he had no reaſon to complain of a Miſchance, that he had merited, and brought upon himſelf.

Bedreddin turned towards the City ſtanching the Blood of this Wound with his Apron, which he had not put off. I was a Fool, ſaid he within himſelf, for leaving my Houſe, to take ſo much Pains upon this Brat; for doubtleſs he would never have uſed me after this manner, if he had not thought, I had had ſome fatal Deſign againſt him. When he got home, he had his Wound dreſſed, and ſoftned the ſenſe of his Miſchance by the Reflection, that there was an infinite Number of People upon the Earth, that were yet more unfortunate than he.

Day peeping in, obliged the Sultaneſs to ſilence, and Schahriar got up pitying Bedreddin, and impatient to know the Sequel of the Story.