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He then ordered the populace to be let in to plunder, which was performed with the utmost rapaciousness, and with shouts which terrified Ganem's mother and sister the more, because they knew not the reason.
"Well, then," replied Fetnah, "let me inform you, that Ganem's respectful behaviour, joined to all the good offices he did me, gained him my esteem. I went further yet: you know the tyranny of love: I felt some tender inclination rising in my breast.
The syndic conducted her, and whilst she was going thither, Ganem's mother said to Jalib al Koolloob, "Alas! daughter, wretched as that sick stranger is, your brother, if he be living, is not perhaps in a more happy condition." The caliph's favourite coming into the chamber of the sick stranger, drew near the bed, in which the syndic's slaves had already laid him.
In the mean time the queen's women, who were much affected at the spectacle, omitted no persuasions to prevail with Ganem's mother to take some sustenance. She ate a morsel out of complaisance, and her daughter did the like.
These words were like a thunderbolt to the favourite; but suppressing her agitation and concern, she suffered Ganem's mother to proceed in the following manner: "I am the widow of Abou Ayoub, a merchant of Damascus; I had a son called Ganem, who, coming to trade at Bagdad, has been accused of carrying off Fetnah.
Though Ganem's apartment was very richly furnished, the lady did not so much regard its appearance, as she did the handsome presence and engaging mien of her deliverer, whose politeness and obliging behaviour heightened her gratitude. She sat down on a sofa, and to give the merchant to understand how sensible she was of the service done her, took off her veil.
There was no occasion for the syndic's saying any more to Ganem's mother; as soon as she was told that she could not converse with her son, without hazarding his life, she ceased insisting to go and see him. Fetnah then said, "Let us bless Heaven for having brought us all together.
"Madam," answered Ganem's mother, "I perceive by your obliging offers, that Heaven has not quite forsaken us, though we had cause to believe it had, after so many misfortunes as have befallen us." Having uttered these words, she wept so bitterly that Fetnah and the syndic's wife could not forbear letting fall some tears.
She did so, with artless simplicity, passing slightly over what regarded Zobeide, and enlarging on the obligations she owed to Ganem; but above all, she highly extolled his discretion, endeavouring by that means to make the caliph sensible that she had been under the necessity of remaining concealed in Ganem's house, to deceive Zobeide.
Ganem's mother told them what she and her daughter had endured; at which the good countrywomen were sensibly afflicted, and endeavoured to comfort them. They treated them as well as their poverty would permit, took off their horse-hair shifts, which were very uneasy to them, and put on them others which they gave them, with shoes, and something to cover their heads, and save their hair.
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