" "I hear and
obey," answered she, and rising at once, collected her goods and
treasures and equipped herself and her handmaids for the journey,
whilst the Vizier went to take his leave of the Sultan of
Bassora, who sent by him gifts and rarities to the Sultan of
Egypt. Then he set out at once on his homeward journey and
travelled till he came to Damascus, where he halted and pitched
his tents as before, saying to his suite, "We will halt here a
week, to buy presents and curiosities for the Sultan." Now the
tie of blood drew Agib to his father, so he said to the eunuch,
"O Laic, I have a mind to go a-walking; so come, let us go down
into the streets of Damascus and see what is become of the cook
whose victuals we ate and whose head we broke, for indeed he was
kind to us and we used him scurvily." The eunuch replied, "I hear
and obey." So they left the tents and going down into the city,
stayed not till they came to the cookshop, where they found
Bedreddin Hassan standing at the door. It was near the time of
afternoon-prayer, and as chance would have it, he had just
prepared a mess of pomegranate-seed. Agib looked at him and saw
the scar of the blow on his forehead; wherefore his heart yearned
to him and he said, "Peace be on thee! Know that my heart is with
thee." When Bedreddin saw him, his bowels were troubled and his
heart throbbed, and he bowed his head and would have spoken, but
could not.
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