When I heard thee speak thus, I held my peace and cared not to
say aught to thee.' 'O Enis el Jelis,' said Noureddin, 'thou
knowest that I have not expended my substance but on my friends,
who have beggared me, and I think they will not leave me without
help.' 'By Allah,' replied she, 'they will not profit thee in
aught.' Said he, 'I will rise at once and go to them and knock at
their doors: maybe I shall get of them somewhat with which I may
trade and leave pleasure and merry-making.' So he rose and
repaired to a certain street, where all his ten comrades lived.
He went up to the first door and knocked, whereupon a maid came
out and said, 'Who art thou?' 'Tell thy master,' replied he,
'that Noureddin Ali stands at the door and says to him, "Thy
slave kisses thy hands and awaits thy bounty."' The girl went in
and told her master, who cried out at her, saying, 'Go back and
tell him that I am not at home.' So she returned and said to
Noureddin, 'O my lord, my master is from home.' With this, he
went away, saying to himself, 'Though this fellow be a whoreson
knave and deny himself, another may not be so.' Then he came to
the second door and sent in a like message to the master of the
house, who denied himself as the first had done, whereupon
Noureddin repeated the following verse:
They're gone who, if before their door thou didst arrest thy
feet, Would on thy poverty bestow both flesh and roasted
meat.
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