Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/71

had never felt before. “I have no occaſion for Stuffs, (ſaid ſhe) only come to ſee you, and paſs the Evening with you, if you are pleas’d with it, all I ask of you is a light Collation.

Tranſported with ſuch happy Luck, I order’d my Folks to bring us ſeveral ſorts of Fruit, and ſome Bottle of Wine. They ſerv’d us nimbly; and we eat and drank and made merry till Midnight, In ſhort, I had not paſſed a Night ſo agreeably all the while I had been there: Next Morning I would have put ten Sheriffs in the Lady’s Hands, but ſhe refuſed them; I am not come to ſee you ſaid ſhe, from a Deſign of Intereſt; you affront me, I am ſo far from receiving Money of you, that I deſire you to take Money of me, or elſe I’ll ſee you no more. In ſpeaking this, ſhe clapped her Hand in her Purſe, took out ten Sheriffs and forced me to take ’em. You may expect me three Days hence after Sun-ſet. Then ſhe took Leave of me, and I felt that when fhe went ſhe carried my Heart along with her.

She did not fail to return at the appointed Hour Three Days after; and I did not fail to receive her with all the Joy of a Perſon that waited impatiently for her Arrival. The Evening and the Nignt we ſpent as before; And next Day at parting ſhe promiſed to return the Third Day after. However, ſhe did not go without forcing me to take ten Sheriffs more.

She return’d a third Time, and at that Interview when we were both warm with Wine, ſhe ſpoke thus, My dear Heart, what do you think of me? Am not I handſome and agreeable? Madam, ſaid I, All the Marks of Love with which I entertain you, ought to perſwade you, that I love you; I am charmed in ſeeing you, and more ſo in enjoying you. You’re my Queen, my Sultaneſs, in you lies all the Felicity of my Life. Ah! Sir, replied ſhe, I am aſſured you would ſpeak otherwiſe, if you ſaw a certain Lady of my Acquaintance that’s younger and handfomer than I. She’s a Lady of ſuch a pleaſant jocund Temper, as would make the moſt melancholy People merry. I muſt bring her hither; I ſpoke of you to her, and from the Account I have given of you, ſhe dies of deſire to ſee you. She intreated me to gain her that Pleaſure, but I did not dare to humour her without ſpeaking to you before-hand. Ma-