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When the mother of Mazin heard these words, her heart sunk within her, she trembled, but dared not refuse the command of Zobeide, and she said, "To hear is to obey!" after which she took leave, with the usual ceremony of prostration before the throne of the sultana.
Abou Hassan! poor Abou Hassan! whom you honoured with your esteem, and gave me for a husband, is no more!" At these words Nouzhatoul-aouadat redoubled her tears and sighs, and threw herself again at the princess's feet. Zobeide was extremely concerned at this news. "Abou Hassan dead!" cried she; "that agreeable, pleasant man!
This lady was called Zobeide, she who opened the gate Safie, and she who went to buy the provisions was named Amene. Zobeide said to the two ladies, when she came to them, "Sisters, do not you see that this honest man is ready to sink under his burden, why do not you ease him of it?"
Though the caliph pronounced these words very distinctly, so that the three ladies heard them well enough, yet the vizier Giafar did, out of ceremony, repeat them over again. Zobeide, after the caliph by his discourse encouraged her, satisfied his curiosity in this manner.
At these words of Zobeide, the caliph cried out in a fit of laughter, "This, madam, is a strange piece of obstinacy; but," continued he seriously, "you may depend upon Nouzhatoul-aouadat's being dead." "I tell you no, sir," replied Zobeide sharply; "it is Abou Hassan that is dead, and you shall never make me believe otherwise." Upon this the caliph's anger rose in his countenance.
When he saw the tomb, the wax-lights round it, and the magnificence of the mausoleum, he was amazed that Zobeide should have performed the obsequies of her rival with so much pomp; and being naturally of a jealous temper, suspected his wife's generosity and fancied his mistress might perhaps be yet alive; that Zobeide, taking advantage of his long absence, might have turned her out of the palace, ordering those she had entrusted to conduct her, to convey her so far off that she might never more be heard of.
In the middle of these appeared Zobeide with a majestic air, and so laden with jewels, that she could scarcely walk. She ascended the throne, and the favourite lady, who had accompanied her, stood just by her right hand; the other ladies, who were slaves, being placed at some distance on each side of the throne.
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