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She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the Khorasani to Al-Ziyadi, "'By Allah, haddest thou told me the fact at first, I had not pressed thee!; and now, by Allah, I will not accept aught of this money and thou art lawfully quit of it. So saying, he went away and I set my affairs in order and repaired on the Procession-day to Al-Maamun's Gate, where I found him seated.
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi: "I called the purveyors and paid them my liabilities and spent freely and amply, saying to myself, 'By the time he returns, Allah will have relieved me with one or other of the bounties He hath by Him. However, on the very next day, the servant came in to me and said, 'Thy friend the Khorasan man is at the door. 'Admit him, answered I. So he came in and said to me, 'I had purposed to make the pilgrimage; but news hath reached me of the decease of my father, and I have resolved to return; so give me the monies I deposited with thee yesterday. When I heard this, I was troubled and perplexed beyond measure of perplexity known to man and wotted not what reply to make him; for, if I denied it, he would put me on my oath, and I should be disgraced in the world to come; whilst, if I told him that I had spent the money, he would make an outcry and dishonour me before men.
We exchanged salutations and he said to me, 'Tell me, art thou Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi?; and I replied, 'Yes, what is thy wish? Quoth he, 'I am a stranger and am minded to make the pilgrimage; but I have with me a great sum of money, which is burdensome to bear: so I wish to deposit these ten thousand dirhams with thee whilst I make my pilgrimage and return.
I threw the reins on the mule's shoulders and gave myself up to regrets and melancholy thoughts, whilst she fared on with me to the eastward of Baghdad. Succour Abu Hassan al-Ziyadi. I awoke a second time, but knowing thee not I went to sleep again; and he came to me a third time and still I knew thee not and went to sleep again. Then he came to me once more and said, 'Out on thee!
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