Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/79

her unhappy Fate: In the mean time the eldeſt, who doubtleſs repented of her jealous Fury, took on very much, and inceſſantly bewailed the Death of her Siſter; ſhe denied her ſelf all manner of Food, and ſo put an end to her deplorable Days.

Such, continued the Governor, ſuch is the State of Mankind! ſuch are the unluckly Accidents to which they are expoſed, However, my Child, added he, ſince we are both of us equally unfortunate, let’s unite our Sorrow, and not abandon one another. I give you in Marriage a Third Daughter I have ſtill left; ſhe’s younger than her Siſters, and takes after them in no manner of Way in her Conduct; beſides ſhe’s handſomer than they were, and I aſſure you is of a Humour proper to make you happy. You ſhall have no other Houſe but mine, and after my Death you and ſhe ſhall be my univerſal Heirs. Sir, ſaid I, I’m aſham’d of all your Favours, and ſhall be never able to make you a ſufficient Acknowledgment. That’s enough, ſaid he, interrupting me; let us not waſte Time in idle Words. This ſaid, he called for Witneſſes, order’d the Contract of Marriage to be drawn, and ſo I married his Daughter without any Ceremony.

He was not ſatisfied with puniſhing the Jeweller that had falſly accuſed me; but confiſcated for my Uſe all his Goods, which were very conſiderable. As for the reſt, fince you have been called to the Governor’s Houſe, you have ſeen what Reſpect they pay me there. I muſt tell you further, that a Man who was ſent by my Uncles to Egypt on purpoſe to inquire for me there, paſſing through this City found me out, and came laſt Night and delivered me a Letter from them. They give me Notice of my Father’s Death, and invited me to come and take Poſſeſſion of his Eſtate at Mouſſoul. But as the Alliance and Friendſhip of the Governor has fixed me with him, and will not ſuffer me to remove from him; I have ſent back the Expreſs with an Order, which will ſecure to me what is my due, Now, after what you have heard, I hope you’ll pardon my Incivility during the courſe of my illneſs, in giving you my left in ſtead of my right Hand.

This, ſaid the Jewiſh Phyfician, this is the Story I heard from the young Man of Mouſſoul I continued at Damaſcus as long as the Governor lived; after his Death, being