Meanwhile, the
Vizier returned to the bride's chamber, troubled in mind about
his daughter, and said to her, "O my daughter, expound thy case
to me." "O my father," answered she, "what more can I tell thee?
Indeed, the bridegroom, he before whom they displayed me
yesterday, lay with me all night and took my virginity, and I am
with child by him. If thou believe me not, there is his turban,
just as he left it, on the settle, and his trousers under the
bed, with I know not what wrapped up in them." When her father
heard this, he entered the alcove and found Bedreddin's turban;
so he took it up and turning it about, said, "This is a Vizier's
turban, except that it is of the Mosul cut."[FN#65] Then he
perceived an amulet sewn in the cap of the turban so he unsewed
the lining and took it out; then took the trousers, in which was
the purse of a thousand dinars. In the latter he found the
duplicate of Bedreddin's docket of sale to the Jew, naming him
as Bedreddin Hassan, son of Noureddin Ali of Cairo. No sooner had
he read this, than he cried out and fell down in a swoon; and
when he revived, he wondered and said, "There is no god but God
the Omnipotent! O my daughter, dost thou know who took thy
maidenhead?" "No," answered she; and he said, "It was thy
cousin, my brother's son, and these thousand dinars are thy
dowry' Glory be to God! Would I knew how this had come about!"
Then he opened the amulet and found therein a paper in the
handwriting of his brother Noureddin; and when he saw his
writing, he knew it and kissed it again and again, weeping and
making moan for his brother.
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