Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 4.djvu/84
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ture! If you ſucceed ſaid I, and procure me the Felicity of ſeeing that charming Beauty, and revealing to her the Paſſion which I burn for her, you may depend upon it I’ll be grateful. My Son, ſaid the old Woman, I know the Lady you ſpeak of, ſhe is, as you judg’d right, the Daughter of the firſt Cadis of the City: I think it no wonder that you are in Love with her. She is the handſomeſt, comlieſt Lady in Bagdad, but what I moſt boggle at, is, that ſhe’s very proud, and of difficult Acceſs. You ſee how ſtrict our Judges are in injoyning the punctual Obſervance of ſevere Laws that mew up Women under ſuch a burdenſome Conſtraint: And they are yet more ſtrict in the Obſervation of ’em in their own Families, nay, which adds to all, the Cadis you ſaw is more rigid in that Point than all the other Magiſtrates put together. They are always preaching to their Daughters what a heinous Crime it is to ſhew themſelves to Men, and by this Means the Girls themſelves are ſo pre-poſſeſs’d with the Notion, that they make no other uſe of their two Eyes, but to conduct them along the Streets, when Neceſſity obliges ’em to go abroad, I do not ſay abſolutely, that the firſt Cadis’s Daughter is of that Humour; but that does not hinder, but that I fear to meet with as great Obſtacles on her Side as on her Father’s. Would to God you had lov’d any other Lady, then I had not had ſo many Difficulties to ſurmount. However I ſhall imploy all my Wits to compaſs the thing, only time is required. In the mean time do you take Heart and truſt in me.
The old Woman took leave of me; and as I weigh’d within myſelf all the Obſtacles ſhe had been talking of, the Fearof her not ſucceeding in her Enterprize inflamed my illneſs. Next Day ſhe came again, and I read in her Countenance, that ſhe had no favourable news to impart. In Effect, ſhe ſpoke thus. My Child, I was not miſtaken in the matter, I have ſomewhat elſe to conquer beſides the Vigilance of a Father, you love an indifferent inſenſibie Girl, that takes Pleaſure in making every one burn with Love, that ſuffer themſelves to be charm’d by her; when ſhe has once gain’d that Point, ſhe will not deſign them the leaſt Comfort. She heard me with Pleaſure, when I ſpoke of nothing but the Torment ſhe made you undergo; but I no ſooner began to enter upon the influencing her to allow You to fee her, and converſe with her, but with a terribleLook;